FOUR  LECTURES 


BY  THE 


REV.  JOHN  HALL,  D.D., 


OF  NEW  YORK. 


j Republished  by  the  General  Assembly1 s Committee  on  Systematic 
Beneficence  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 


CLEVELAND,  OHIO: 

LEADER  PRINTING  COMPANY,  146  SUPERIOR  STREET. 
1883. 


PREFATORY  NOTE. 


The  following  lectures  were  originally  delivered  in  i8jyy 
under  the  auspices  of  the  Rochester  (Baptist)  Theological 
Seminary.  By  kind  permission  of  the  author , they  are  now 
republished , without  expense  to  the  church  at  large , for  cir- 
culation among  Presbyterians , by  the  General  Assembly’s  Com- 
mittee on  Systematic  Beneficence. 

The  hope  is  entertained  that  these  words , from  a well- 
known  pastor , — scattered  among  our  candidates , ministers , 
elders , deacons , communicants , — may  become  largely  useful  in 
the  furtherance  of  intelligent , proportionate,  methodical  giving. 

It  has  been  deemed  best  to  reproduce  the  lectures  precisely 
in  their  original  form.  In  this  fact  will  be  found  explana- 
tion of  certain  special  and  local  allusions  noticeable. 


24  I 
H M-P- 


THE  RELIGIOUS  USE  OF  PROPERTY. 


LECTURE  I. 

Some  difficulty  might  be  anticipated  in  the  discussion  of  this  topic 
before  an  audience  of  students  and  of  the  general  public.  For  stu- 
dents a certain  academic  style  may  be  deemed  requisite ; and  precisely 
that  style  may  be  unsuited  to  the  friends  from  without  who  show  their 
interest  in  the  Seminary,  and  in  the  theme,  by  their  presence.  I ven- 
ture, however,  to  speak  to  the  Christian  judgment  of  average  religious 
people;  and  if  that  form  of  address  is  not  intelligible  to  the  academic 
mind,  so  much  the  worse  ..for  its  training.  But  Academic  and  Semi- 
nary training  is  not  meant  to  suppress,  but  to  train  and  develop  native 
common  sense;  and  I have  not  the  least  doubt  that  candidates  for  the 
ministry  who  have  to  deal  with  ordinary  men  and  women  all  their  lives, 
will  receive  without  offence  what  is  spoken  in  the  fashion  in  which — if 
they  are  to  be  useful — they  must  speak  in  their  future  professional 
duties. 

The  subject  of  these  addresses  is  the  religious  use  of  property.  The 
President  and  Trustees  of  the  Seminary  will  bear  me  witness  that  when 
they  honored  me  with  an  overture  on  this  subject,  I stated  frankly  that 
I had  no  special  aptitude  for  its  discussion,  and  that  all  I knew  on  it 
could  be  put  in  a very  few  Lectures.  They  took  the  responsibility  of 
arranging  for  them ; and  I have  only  to  express  the  hearty  satisfaction 
I feel  in  co-operating  in  this  service  with  a branch  of  the  Church  of 
Christ  outside  my  own,  and  with  the  generous  founder  of  the  lecture- 
ship, and  to  hope  and  expect  that  the  blessing  of  God  Almighty  will 
render  this  effort  useful  to  the  glory  of  our  common  Lord. 

If  this  were  an  abstract,  or  speculative  matter,  if  as  with  some  his* 
torical  themes,  its  interest  lay  in  the  past,  or  like  some  prophetical, 
only  in  the  future,  it  would  hardly  be  worth  our  while  to  employ 
special  agencies  for  drawing  to  it  public  attention. 

But  if  the  Divine  word  enjoins  anything  on  this  matter,  we  have 
daily  opportunity  to  obey  or  to  disobey,  and  it  is  a theme  for  the  dis- 
cussion of  which  there  is  present,  urgent  need,  as  will  appear  from  the 
following  considerations : 

(a.)  The  present  opportunities  for  employing  Christian  agencies  are 
unexampled.  All  over  the  world,  doors  are  open  that  were  formerly 
closed.  Freedom,  which  owes  so  much  to  Christianity,  is  repaying 
the  favors  by  giving  opportunity  for  Christian  teaching.  All  North 
America  is  open  and  inviting.  All  Europe  is  open.  South  America 
is,  for  the  most  part,  accessible  as  never  before.  Of  India,  China, 
Japan,  we  need  not  tell  the  familiar  tale.  For  the  “barbarous  Turk” 
it  is  claimed  that  he  is  the  friend  of  missions  within  his  territory, 
though  it  is  probably  only  of  missions  to  other  than  Mohammedans. 


4 


But  we  must  admit  that  the  field  is  open  as  never  before;  and  facilities, 
other  than  money,  are  abundant.  An  enterprising  and  ubiquitous  Com- 
merce pushes  its  way  in  an  unprecedented  degree.  The  traveller  dares 
to  explore  whatever  is  most  hazardous  and  least  known.  Our  English 
tongue  is  spreading  with  extraordinary  rapidity.  Our  Saxon  pride 
keeps  us  from  learning  others’  languages,  and  we  feel  a kind  of  com- 
miseration for  any  who  cannot  understand  us.  But  we  are  a good 
people  to  deal  with.  It  is  worth  the  while  of  Continental  hotel-keepers 
and  shop-keepers  to  know  English,  and  it  is  worth  the  while  of  Japa- 
nese, Chinese  and  Indian  young  men  to  learn  it  for  the  sake  of  trade 
and  employment,  and  I am  of  those  who  hope  and  believe  that  it  is  to 
be  the  medium  by  which  many  tribes  and  nations  are  to  learn  of  the 
wonderful  works  of  God. 

But  confining  our  attention  to  our  own  land,  we  have  the  loudest 
call  to  the  practical  study  of  this  subject.  Here  is  a young  nation,  in 
its  formative  state,  with  a broad  Continent  for  its  home,  and  with  enor- 
mous material  advantages.  Our  religious  institutions  have  to  be  set 
up,  extended  and  maintained.  We  have,  so  far  as  all  Church  expense 
is  concerned,  declined  any  aid  from  the  State,  and  assumed  the  burden 
as  Christians.  The  voluntary  principle  is  on  its  trial  among  us.  In 
every  discussion  on  the  subject  of  Establishments,  in  Europe,  the 
standing  reply  to  voluntary  logic  is  the  production  of  some  American 
document.  Some  clerical  Jeremiah  is  weeping  over  the  sons  of  the 
prophets,  and  their  sufferings,  and  it  is  so  easy  to  say,  “There  is  the 
way  you  find  things  in  one  of  the  richest  and  most  prosperous  coun- 
tries in  the  world.”*  There  is  present  need  to  discuss  this  question. 

(A)  For  it  must  be  admitted  that  the  supply  of  means  is  deficient 
even  in  our  present  standard  of  working.  How  many  societies  are 
crippled,  no  matter  how  cautiously  the  advances  are  made.  If  there 
is  one  class  of  Christian  men  that  is  required  to  see  how  the  wind 
blows  with  a view  to  their  sowing,  it  is  the  Secretaries  of  Boards  and 
Committees ; and  with  all  their  caution,  how  often  is  there  a discour- 
aging debt!  Nor  is  this  for  foreign  fields  only;  for  at  home  at  our 
own  doors,  too  often  labor  is  restricted  by  the  limited  means  to  sustain 
it.  Take  our  church  edifices.  I do  not  know  how  it  is  here  in  West- 
ern New  York,  which  I have  long  held  to  be  one  of  the  most  prosperous, 
comfortable  and  presentable  sections  of  this  continent,  and  in  which  I 
presume,  in  all  things,  and  especially  ecclesiastical  things,  you  “pay  as 
you  go,”  but  in  the  region  from  which  I come,  we  have  plenty  of  debt 
on  our  church  edifices.  He  will  be  a courageous  man  who  will  lend 
money  on  churches,  as  things  threaten  to  go.  Nor  is  it  only  for  the 
cost  of  erecting  buildings — but  even  for  the  cost  of  sustaining  them,  I 
hear  of  difficulty  where  one  would  least  expect  it.  Cries  of  distress 
go  up  from  “feeble  churches”  in  “financial  troubles,”  and  while  stores 


■ Of  course  we  do  not  admit  the  sufficiency  of  the  rejoinder.  A principle  may  be,  like  the  doc- 
trines of  Christianity,  of  undoubted  goodness,  and  yet  fail  to  be  adequately  lived  out  by  its  accep- 
tors. Considering  the  brief  history  of  the  American  nation,  and  the  disadvantages  under  which  the 
Christian  people  have  had  to  prosecute  their  work,  the  results  reached  have  been  encouraging  in  the 
extreme,  and  the  fair  argument  would  be — if  a young  nation  engaged  in  “subduiug  the  earth"  has 
done  so  much  without  State  aid,  how  much  easier  it  ought  to  be  to  dispense  with  it  in  old,  rich,  and 
long-settled  communities?  But  the  fact  that  we  are  unconsciously  contributing  toward  the  settle- 
ment of  one  of  the  most  stirring  and  most  momentous  questions  in  the  churches  of  Europe,  is  to 
be  considered  as  a stimulus  to  fidelity,  and  enlightened  public  spirit. 


5 


and  companies  thrive  and  prosper,  churches,  as  they  say,  “cannot  pay 
their  running  expenses.” 

(c)  And  this  leads  to  another  evil — deeper  far  than  any  hardship  to 
an  individual,  or  to  a class.  The  church  is  the  salt  of  the  earth,  the 
light  of  the  world,  the  best  conservator  of  truth,  morality  and  purity  on 
earth.  (As  a minister  in  succession  of  three  large  congregations,  tor 
a quarter  of  a century,  I never  had  a parishioner  in  a prison !)  Now  it 
is  a real  calamity  to  the  community  if  the  salt  lose  its  savor,  if  the  light 
be  dimmed.  But  this  deficiency  of  means  tends  in  that  direction.  For 
example,  churches  are  led  to  unworthy,  unfitting,  undignified  devices 
for  raising  money.  I will  not.  specify,  for  I might  seem  to  reflect  on 
individuals  who  are  to  be  pitied  rather  than  blamed,  who  are  suffering 
from  the  vices  of  a system  they  cannot  amend ; but  I will  say  I have 
known  things  done  in  this  connection  by  churches,  which  I think 
hardly  honest ; and  woe  be  to  us,  and  to  the  country  when  the  Church 
goes  down  to  the  employment  and  the  sanction  of  the  tricks  and 
devices  of  small  and  unprincipled  traffic. 

In  the  same  way  the  reversal  of  the  Apostolic  rule  is  brought  about. 
The  poor  come  to  be  of  small  account,  and  the  rich  an  acquisition, 
because  they  can  pay.  This  is  pre-eminently  bad  for  the  rich.  Their 
follies  are  condoned ; court  paid  to  their  wealth  they  take  as  due  to 
their  worth ; prominence,  or  pre-eminence,  is  gained  by  other  than 
moral  and  spiritual  qualities ; and  I should  not  wonder  if  rich  men  are 
so  soon  met  at  the  door  of  the  house  of  God  with  the  subscriotion-list, 
before  grace  has  renewed  their  hearts  and  reversed  their  money-loving 
habits  of  mind,  that  they  are  deterred  and  thrown  back  under  the  im- 
pression that  the  Church  wants  not  them,  but  theirs.  A false  standard 
of  judging  >is  introduced.  “My  son,”  wrote  an  old  clergyman  to  a 
son,  also  a minister,  “take  care  of  the  poor  and  God  will  take  care  of 
you.”  But  the  poor  become  a burden  to  churches  that  are  living  on  the 
very  edge  of  their  income,  and  they  are  tempted  to  think  the  minister 
successful  in  the  degree  in  which  he  can  draw  in  contributors.  A 
friend  of  mine  described  to  me  an  incident  in  a church-meeting  where 
it  was  decided  to  be  for  the  divine  glory  that  a most  valuable  and  faith- 
ful minister  should  be  invited  to  resign.  He  was  in  middle  life,  had 
served  them  many  years,  and  was  blameless  in  every  way.  With  a 
magnificent  sweep  of  his  arm  one  of  the  members  said,  “Brethren, 
them  galleries  has  got  to  be  filled.”  The  grammar,  in  my  mind,  was 
not  the  worst  part  of  that  speech ; the  evil  lay  in  the  depraved  idea  of 
ministerial  usefulness.  By  pyrotechnics,  by  tricks  of  trade,  by  stand- 
ing on  his  head  (figuratively,  of  course,)  a man  may  fill  the  galleries 
and  the  floor  too,  without  making  any  solid  contribution  to  the  real 
strength  of  a church,  or  to  the  numbers  in  the  Jerusalem  above. 

By  the  operation  of  the  same  causes  ministers  are  made  to  suffer.  I 
forewarn  you,  gentlemen  of  this  Seminary,  that  some  of  the  hardest 
trials  in  your  future  life  and  work  will  come  to  you  on  the  side  of 
deficient  sense  of  duty,  in  money  matters,  among  your  people.  I do 
not  tell  you  this  to  discourage  you,  for  the  work  is  wTorth  enduring  for, 
but  to  impress  you  with  the  importance  of  this  theme,  and  of  thorough 
instruction  upon  it.  Changes  in  the  field  of  labor  become  far  too  fre- 
quent. The  fifth  year  of  a true  man’s  labor  in  a place  ought  to  be 


6 


worth  more  than  the  first  and  the  second  together.  He  knows  the 
people  and  the  people  know  him,  and  the  tenth  year  ought  to  be  twice 
as  good  as  the  fifth.  But  on  this  system — which  yet  is  no  system,  for 
it  is  not  regulated  and  provided  for,  as  among  our  Methodist  brethren — 
into  which  we  are  drifting,  a minister  has  hardly  had  time  to  take  the 
measure  of  his  people  and  learn  their  wants,  and  come  into  personal 
sympathy  with  them — until  from  “prudential”  reasons  on  his  side  or 
on  theirs,  a change  is  desirable.  It  is  not  meant  that  this  is  the  only 
occasion  of  change,  but  it  is  so  frequent,  irritating,  discouraging  and 
mischievous,  as  to  entitle  it  to  account.*  In  part  through  failure  in 
this  department  of  duty,  the  ministry  as  a class  is  depreciated.  In- 
stead of  pastoral  settlements,  we  come  to  a too  large  proportion  of 
stated  supplies,  and  the  stated  supply  is  in  danger  of  being  regarded 
too  much  as  “a  man  hired  to  preach  for  a year,”  and  too  little  as  a min- 
ister of  Jesus  Christ,  placed  by  Him  who  holds  the  stars  in  His  right 
hand.  If  this  is  bad  for  the  ministry  as  a class,  it  is  perilous  to  the 
people.  You  cannot  degrade  the  teacher  in  the  eyes  of  the  pupils,  the 
parents  in  the  eyes  of  the  children,  the  rulers  in  the  eyes  of  the  gov- 
erned, the  ministry  in  the  eyes  of  the  laity,  without  pupils,  children, 
people  and  the  church  being  injured.  To  lessen  the  number  of  those 
objects  to  which  to  look  up  is  an  injury  to  us;  and  there  have  been 
many  who  were  helped  along  by  having  faithful,  consistent  ministers 
watch  over  them  from  childhood,  who  formed  to  their  minds  a stand- 
ing argument  for  religion,  when  they  were  plied  with  considerations  on 
the  other  side. 

In  the  same  connection  it  may  be  proper  to  say  that  in  an  age  of 
great  commercial  activity  like  ours,  there  is  need  to  discuss  this  ques- 
tion for  the  spiritual  welfare  of  individual  Christians.  It  is  a dreadful 
thing  for  the  mind  to  be  for  long,  indifferent  to  one  great  class  of  duties, 
to  be  allowed  to  take  its  set,  and  form  its  habits  in  disregard  of  them. 
One  sometimes  meets  with  men  converted  late  in  life,  and  from  whom 
you  do  not  expect  such  victories  over  self  and  such  expansive  benevo- 
lence, as  from  those  who  grew  up  under  gracious  influences.  Even  so 
with  men — even  Christian  men — who  began  with  perhaps  little  means, 
whose  success  is  the  result  of  innumerable  small  economies  and  trifling 
gains,  whose  practical  creed  in  money  matters  was  in  three  words,  get — 1 
keep — increase — it  is  only  by  patient  painstaking,  practical  instruction, 
that  a habit  of  mind,  old  and  consolidated,  is  broken  through,  and 
giving  five  hundred  dollars  can  be  reconciled  with  the  life-long  rule  of 
saving  or  making  five  cents,  where  it  is  honestly  practicable.  And 
how  much  men  miss — good  men  who  will  praise  God  for  their  salva- 
tion in  heaven — how  much  they  lose  here  and  there,  from  not  having 
learned  the  blessed  art  of  laying  up  treasure  in  heaven,  and  making 
friends  of  the  mammon  of  unrighteousness ! 


*The  settlement  of  a minister  is  usually  by  and  through  an  association  of  ministers,  elders  or 
deacons,  called  by  the  name  of  Presbytery,  Association,  or  Council.  The  details  and  condition  of 
settlement  pass,  with  more  or  less  form  or  significance,  under  the  eye  of  this  body.  Two  anoma- 
lies seem  to  attend  the  current  administration.  (1)  The  sufficiency  of  the  means  provided  for  the 
minister  appears  to  be  affirmed,  oil  what  ground  it  would  often  be  difficult  to  say,  and  (2)  the  bond 
so  solemnly  formed  is  too  often  dissolved  in  such  a way  as  to  render  the  Presbytery  or  correspond- 
ing body  only  a cumbrous  Bureau  of  registration,  at  least  in  appearance. 


7 


One  other  consideration  may  fitly  close  this  part  of  our  statement. 
The  age  magnifies  material  success.  All  the  activities  of  multitudes 
are  embarked  in  the  effort  to  make  money.  The  church  is  to  bear 
her  testimony  on  this  point,  and  to  interpose  with  divinely-appointed 
checks  on  this  tendency.  But  her  testimony  against  the  love  of 
money,  the  greed  of  gain,  the  excessive  pursuit  of  riches,  the  over- 
valuing of  wealth,  the  undue  reliance  on  possessions  for  happiness, 
and  the  corrupting  tendencies  of  large  means,  is  sadly  weakened  if  she 
herself  does  not  understand  and  act  upon  right  principles  in  regard 
to  “this  world’s  goods.”  Here  her  testimony  ought  to  be  strongest. 
It  will  be  a real  calamity  if  it  be  weak  and  inadequate.  And  just  here 
the  world’s  eye  may  be  expected  to  be  on  the  Church,  as  on  the  disci- 
ples who  were  watched  when  they  plucked  the  ears  of  corn  and  rubbed 
them  in  their  hands  and  did  eat,  and  duly  reported.  So  the  world 
which  can  judge  of,  liberality,  or  of  parsimony,  of  generosity  or  of 
selfishness,  better  than  of  principles  and  of  orthodoxy,  will  be  sure  to 
justify  its  attitude  by  the  course  of  professing  Christians.  We  must 
beware  lest  we  be  weak  when  we  should  be  strong,  and  weak  where 
our  weakness  can  be  most  readily  detected  and  exposed. 

Now,  if  the  point  has  been  made  out  that  this  question  of  the  con- 
secration of  property  is  practical  and  urgent  at  this  moment,  we  pro- 
ceed to  say  that  if  it  is  to  be  discussed,  ministers  must  undertake  the 
task.  Not  they  only  indeed,  for  we  look  for  the  time  when  Christian 
merchants,  lawyers  and  physicians,  will  take  their  share  in  this  practi- 
cal reform ; but  for  the  steady,  patient,  continuous,  consecutive  teach- 
ing of  the  Church,  the  reliance  must  be  on  the  minister.  If  the  holy 
oracles  have  anything  to  say  on  the  subject,  are  we  not  bound  to  de- 
clare the  whole  counsel  of  God  ? Is  not  the  Bible  a book  of  truth, 
and  of  truth  with  a view  to  duty  ? Are  we  not  after  the  example  of 
Peter,  Paul,  and  John,  to  tell  men  not  only  what  God  is,  and  whaf 
man  is,  but  what  duties  God  requires  of  man  ? Is  not  property  one  ot 
the  talents  ? Are  we  to  be  silent  anywhere  if  the  Lord  speaks  ? Is 
not  the  messenger  to  deliver  his  message,  as  the  printer  reproduces  his 
manuscript,  and  the  telegraph  operator  gives  out  in  San  Francisco 
1 what  he  gets  in  Rochester  ? Are  we  the  judge  of  what  it  is  wise  to  tell 
the  people,  or  is  the  Lord?  We  are  bound  to  explain,  enforce  and 
apply  this  truth  in  the  place  and  in  the  proportion  it  has  in  the  divine 
revelation.  *Nay,  more,  it  may  happen  that  a particular  tendency  may 
have  such  strength,  the  mind  of  a Christian  community  may  be  so  far 
perverted  on  a particular  point,  that  it  may  be  proper  to  emphasize  the 
correcting  truths. until  the  evil  is  modified.* 

- And  if  ministers  are  to  instruct  on  this  subject,  they  ought  to  under- 
stand it.  Two  difficulties  have  to  be  overcome  in  the  effort.  Business 


* If  the  Sabbath  is  threatened  with  desecration,  we  preach  the  Sabbath  law  and  privilege  with 
special  emphasis.  If  intemperance  becomes  a national  sin  and  disgrace,  we  teach,  preach,  speak, 
organize  against  it.  If  doctrinal  error  creep  in,  we  enforce  the  revealed  truth.  If  the  Galatians 
misplace  circumcision,  how  energetically  Paul  sets  their  error  forth,  and  throws  on  it  the  light  of 
free  justification  by  grace  through  faith  ! So  there  is  a “present  truth,”  and  the  attention  now 
turned  to  business  affairs,  the  pressing  needs  of  the  Church,  and  the  special  danger  to  her  mem- 
, hers  from  the  growth  and  diffusion  of  wealth,  make  this  a fitting  theme  for  special  enforcement. 
It  may  be  said  indeed  that  the  “bad  times”  are  unsuitable  for  the  discussion  of  such  a theme. 
What  if  the  “bad  times”  be  God’s  retributive  dealing  with  us,  and  a call  to  repentance  in  the  mat- 
ter of  property  ? , 


8 


men  have  always  nursed  a pleasant  belief  that  ministers  do  not  know 
much  of  monetary  affairs,  and  would  not  know  what  to  do  with  the 
money  if  they  had  it.  And  under  the  impression  that  devoutness  and 
capacity  to  manage  money  matters  do  not  go  together,  ministers  have 
sometimes  acquiesced  in  the  idea.  But  I see  no  presumption  in  favor 
of  it.  Ministers  may  be  supposed  to  have  had  fair  common  sense  to 
start  with,  and  many  of  them  have  learnt  the  value  and  use  of  money 
through  as  sharp  a life-battle  as  have  business  men.  And  in  point  of 
fact  I do  not  see  that  ministers  are  conspicuously  more  foolish  in  money 
matters  than  their  lay  friends  of  the  same  opportunities.*  It  does  not 
at  all  follow  that  because  a man  is  religious  and  spiritual,  he  is  weak 
minded  or  a simpleton.  One  would  not  like  to  give  the  world  any 
countenance  in  a superstition  it  is  anxious  to  cherish. 

It  is  common  to  be  witty,  in  a weak,  antiquated  way,  over  ministers 
winding  up  earnest  spiritual  appeals  with  a call  for  money ; but  the 
objection  lies  against  the  Apostle  of  the  Gentiles’  as  strongly  as  it  can 
do  against  any  gospel  minister.  Was  there  ever  a more  animated,  in- 
spiring and  elevated  piece  of  eloquence  than  that  with  which  the  Apos- 
tle Paul  closes  the  fifteenth  of  first  Corinthians  ? He  did  not  break 
his  epis.tle  into  chapters.  That  was  the  work  of  a later  and  a feebler 
hand,  and  in  immediate  sequence  to  that  swelling  climax  of  sacred  and 
exultant  triumph,  he  proceeds  with  the  words,  “Now  as  concerning 
the  collection.”  (i  Cor.  xvi:  i.)  Let  us  only  have  his  cause,  his  zeal, 
his  objects  at  heart,  and  we  need  not  fear  criticism  any  more  than  he 
did. 


* It  has  been  my  privilege  to  be  in  the  homes  both  in  Europe  and  in  America,  of  many  ministers 
of  all  the  leading  Protestant  denominations,  many  of  them  with  exceedingly  slender  incomes,  and 
the  comfort,  and  thrift  without  meanness,  and  elegance  without  show,  there  observed,  do  not  sug- 
gest incapacity  to  manage  money,  but  the  contrary,  and  rather  call  for  the  liveliest  admiration  of 
them,  and  of  the  sharers  of  their  life.  They  more  rarely  fail,  miscalculate,  compound,  and  break 
down,  than  the  same  number  of  men  in  any  other  condition  of  life.  The  idea  of  their  childlike 
ignorance  of  common  things  is  a mischievous  illusion. 


LECTURE  II. 


We  saw  that  the  unprecedented  calls  upon  the  Church  for  effort,  the 
embarrassments  produced  by  insufficient  resources,  the  injury  accru- 
ing to  the  ministry  and  to  the  Christian  community,  and  other  similar 
considerations  give  to  the  subject  of  the  religious  use  of  property  a 
present  and  profound  interest.  We  now  address  ourselves  to  the  ques- 
tion, Are  there  materials  for  forming  fixed  and  definite  convictions  on 
the  subject,  or  must  it  remain  in  the  region  of  sentimental  impulse, 
and  occasional  good  feeling  ? 

The  question  must,  in  the  main,  be  determined  by  an  appeal  to  the 
Scripture.  “In  the  main,”  for  there  are  certain  general  considerations 
that  bear  upon  the  duty  of  the  Church,  and  of  the  individual,  in  the 
very  nature  of  the  case.  A Christian  man  has  a business  side  to  his 
life,  like  any  other  man,  and  he  is  specially  bound  to  be  “blameless 
and  harmless”  on  that  side.  A good  man  should  “guide  his  affairs 
with  discretion,”  if  for  no  other  reason  than  to  show  that  good  sense 
and  true  religion  go  hand  in  hand.  The  impression  that  religious  per- 
sons are  usually  weak-minded,  is  noxious  in  the  extreme,  and  every- 
thing calculated  to  make  it,  is  bad.  There  are  multitudes  of  persons 
who  think  “God’s  silly  people”  fair  game  for  their  selfish  purposes, 
and  who  believe  that  only  their  silliness  explains  their  piety.  “If  they 
knew  as  much  as  we  do,  they  would  not  be  carried  away  with  re- 
ligion.” A pious  man  on  that  side  of  his  life  in  which  he  stands  along 
with  his  fellow  men  is  bound  to  be  high-minded,  generous,  just,  capa- 
ble, and  efficient.  The  Church  also  has  her  business  side,  and  the 
same  principles  apply  to  her  as  to  the  man.  On  the  human  side  more- 
over, the  Church  is  the  Christian  party,  and  like  any  other  party  must 
be  expected  to  give  effect  to  her  convictions.  Their  strength  and 
depth  will  be  gauged  by  men,  by  the  efforts  she  puts  forth  to  maintain 
and  diffuse  them.  There  have  been,  and  are  now,  persons  who  have 
a kind  of  belief  that  the  lower  creatures  are  immortal ; but  they  do 
nothing  in  consequence  in  this  land,  and  the  inference  is  a fair  one, 
that  the  conviction  is  not  very  strong  or  practical.  But  the  Church 
believes  that  men  are  immortal ; that  they  are  in  danger  of  being  suf- 
ferers ; that  there  is  a way  of  escape ; and  moreover  that  it  is  best  for 
them,  and  for  the  world,  that  they  should  enjoy  the  hope  of  safety 
now,  and  feel  its  moral  power.  Now  the  world  will  estimate  the 
strength  of  these  convictions  by  the  efforts  put  forth  to  give  them 
effect,  to  diffuse  and  perpetuate  them.  We  are  not  fatalists.  We  be- 
lieve that  God’s  work  proceeds  through  appropriate  instrumentalities. 
We  are  a great  party.  We  have  party  duties,  so  to  speak.  No  sane 
person  blames  honest  Democrats  or  honest  Republicans  for  pushing 
their  views  and  plans,  so  long  as  the  means  used  are  honest.  We 
should  doubt  their  sincerity  if  they  were  inactive,  and  so  precisely  the 
Christian  party  may  be  expected  to  exert  itself  in  all  fitting  ways  to 
carry  its  convictions,  and  advance  its  objects.  But  this  effort  implies, 


IO 


and  involves  the  use  of  property.  I should  not  wonder  if  many  adhe- 
rents of  one  or  other  political  party  spend  a larger  proportion  of  their 
means  on  party  objects  than  Christians  are  expected  to  do  for  Chris- 
tian purposes.  There  are,  accordingly,  auxiliary  antecedent  considera- 
tions, which  go  a certain  length  to  show  the  duty  of  the  Christian 
people  in  the  matter  of  money.  For  the  Church  to  be  apathetic  in 
this  would — on  the  common  principles  by  which  men  are  influenced — 
nullify  her  own  testimony. 

But  the  authoritative  decision  must  turn  on  the  Divine  word,  and 
in  proceeding  to  examine  its  teaching,  there  is  a historic  fact  on  which 
it  is  proper  to  dwell  for  a moment.  All  men  know  to  what  an  enor- 
mous extent  the  organizations  of  the  Christian  religion  had  possessed 
themselves  of  property  before  the  Reformation.  A great  proportion  of 
the  money,  the  precious  metals,  the  buildings  and  the  land  of  the  Chris- 
tian countries  had  come  into  their  hand.  The  truth  had  been  per- 
verted. Men  were  led  to  believe  that  they  could  be  “redeemed  with 
corruptible  things  such  as  silver  and  gold.”  The  coarse  and  licentious 
freebooter  set  over  against  a life  of  lawlessness  the  surrender  of  his 
plunder  from  a dying  hand  to  the  Church.  Dev.out  men  were  led  to 
believe  that  exemptions,  and  spiritual  gains  for  themselves,  or  for  those 
whom  they  loved,  could  be  “purchased  with  money.”  Hence,  as  it 
has  been  said,  “Multitudes  found  themselves  beggars  because  their 
fathers  had  been  saints.”  Now  errors  commonly  spring  up  in  the 
neighborhood  of  great  truths,  get  sheltered  under  truths,  and  hang  on 
to  them,  and  like  the  ivy  on  a tree,  suppress  and  kill  that  on  which 
they  depended.  Hence,  when  the  errors  have  to  be  swept  away,  the 
truths  they  concealed,  often  get  swept  away  along  with  them.*  Error 
is  bad  all  around.  It  conceals  truth ; it  traverses  it ; it  perverts  it ; it 
raises  prejudice  against  it ; and  it  often  drags  it  down  in  its  own  fall. 

It  was  eminently  so  in  the  Reformation.  Salvation  had  come  to  be 
“by  works.”  Protestants  were  inclined  to  make  little  of  “works,”  in 
consequence.  Giving  money  or  other  form  of  property  made  a great 
element  in  “the  works,”,  and  hence  Protestant  teachers,  thinking  of 
the  error  “farthest  from  it  is  best,”  said  little  on  this  subject.  Duties 
and  privileges  of  which  our  Lord  speaks  unhesitatingly  were  slurred 
over,  lest  there  should  be  any  of  the  sordid  scheming  of  a corrupt  cor- 
poration. Any  child  can  find  either  end  of  a line : it  takes  a process 
of  measurement  to  determine  the  exact  middle.  A truth  is  not  always 
the  diametrical  opposite  of  an  error.  Protestantism  has  suffered  in 
many  things,  and  among  pthers  in  this,  from  the  bad  odor  in  which 
Romish  caricature  and  perversion  placed  many  doctrines  and  duties  of 
the  inspired  word.  It  is  for  us  to  disregard  the  extremes  into  which 
the  human  mind  swung  in  violent  and  passionate  reaction  against  the 
grasping  ambition  of  a great  corporation,  and  to  endeavor  to  learn  and 
do  the  will  of  our  Father,  in  the  more  free  and  felicitous  circum- 
stances, in  which  through  His  blessing  on  the  courage  of  our  fathers, 
we  stand. 


* This  iiea  is  presented  and  illustrated  with  his  usual  copious  eloquence,  by  T.  Bicney,  in  his 
work  on  “Money, ” pp.  10,  11.  Any  student  of  the  times  before  the  Reformation  will  recall  the 
extent  to  which  church-building,  the  endowment  of  religious  houses  and  the  like,  became  a quid 
pro  qxio—a,  present  investment  for  gains  in  the  unseen  world,  and  what  an  important  part  the  erec- 
tion of  St.  Peters’,  Rome,  played  in  bringing  about  the  great  religious  revolution  of  the  sixteenth 
century. 


In  a very  good  collection  of  Essays  entitled  “Gold  and  the  Gospel,” 
the  writer  of  one  of  them  begins  his  collation  of  Scripture  texts  on  the 
consecration  of  property,  with  Abraham’s  gift  of  the  tenth  to  Melchi- 
zedeck.  But  surely  we  may  begin  further  back,  if  we  desire  to  know 
the  divine  estimate  of  property  as  a means  of  glorifying  God.  But 
we  are  met  with  a protest  on  the  part  of  some  against  any  employment 
of  Old  Testament  authority  in  the  matter.  They  object  to  all  that  is 
“Mosaic”:  they  want  to  go  by  the  new  law.  But  let  us  consider  dis- 
passionately how  the  Old  Testament  stands  to  us — a point  on  which  1 
humbly  think,  there  is  need  for  revision  of  many  public  utterances. 
The  Revelation  given  to  men  in  the  earlier  periods  of  human  history 
is  not  necessarily  superseded  by  the  lesson  that  came  later,  any  more 
than  the  teaching  at  a Seminary  contradicts  and  supersedes  the  teach- 
ing of  godly  parents,  or  the  training  of  a college  sets  aside  the  spell- 
ing and  the  grammar  taught  at  school.  The  Old  Testament  gives  us 
the  language  and  figures  of  the  New.  In  some  books  of  early  date 
like  Shakespeare,  or  abundant  provincialism  like  Burns,  we  find  a 
glossary  in  foot-notes  at  the  end,  to  render  the  language  intelligible. 
Now,  with  the  Bible,  the  glossary  comes  at  the  beginning,  and  the  lan- 
guage we  use  freely  and  familiarly  in  the  New  Testament,  has  its  mean- 
ing fixed  by  the  Old.  Why,  the  very  word  “consecration”  we  apply 
to  property,  comes  to  us  from  the  Old  Testament.  The  “priest,” 
“altar,”  “sacrifice,”  “atonement,”  “reconciliation,”  “intercession,” 
“the  Sabbath,”  the  “holy  convocation,”  the  “psalm  of  praise,”  the  cry 
of  “supplication,”  all  come  to  us  from  the  Old  Testament.  For  good 
and  sufficient  reasons  the  forms  of  the  Levitical  economy  having  done 
their  work  are  withdrawn,  not  because  destroyed,  but  because  fulfilled. 
As  for  our  Christian  Churches,  the  more  scriptural  they  are,  the  nearer 
they  come  to  the  Jewish  Synagogue,  in  which  Jesus  Christ  worshipped 
and  taught,  “as  his  custom  was  on  the  Sabbath,”  and  into  the  forms 
and  usages  of  which  the  Apostles  introduced  the  warmth  and  power 
of  evangelical  truth,  which  was  not  the  denial,  but  the  development 
and  expansion  of  the  Gospel  offered  in  type  and  symbol  to  the  earlier 
race.  The  light  at  noon  to-day  was  not  the  antithesis  of  the  light  at 
six  in  the  morning.  It  was  the  same  light,  only  more  of  it.  And  the 
light  of  the  New  Testament  is  not  opposed  to  that  of  the  Old,  but  only 
an  addition  to  it.  Nay  more,  many  things  are  not  enjoined  in  the 
New  Testament,  because  their  knowledge  is  assumed  from  the  instruc- 
tion of  the  Old.  The  erection  of  places  of  worship,  for  example,  is 
nowhere  enjoined  in  the  New  Testament,  for  the  sufficient  reason  that 
out  of  the  religious  life  of  the  Old  Testament  Church  the  custom  had 
naturally  grown,  and  was  an  accepted  and  established  arrangement  in 
New  Testament  times.* 

With  these  suggestions,  rather  than  formal  arguments,  to  break  the 
force  of  the  current  unreasoning  disregard  of  the  Old  Testament,  let 
us  look  into  the  Paradise  in  which  God  put  man  in  the  beginning.  All 


*Is  it  not  on  the  same  principle  that  it  is  to  those  who  go  to  found  churches  among-  Gentile  peo- 
ples, that  directions  are  given  as  to  the  choice  of  elders?  The  order  was  already  known  and 
defined  among  Jews,  and  passed  over  naturally  into  the  churches  of  which  the  earlier  elements 
were  Jewish  converts.  For  the  extent  to  which  the  Christian  congregation  is  the  lineal  descendant 
of  the  synagogue,  Vitringa  may  be  consulted  with  advantage. 


will  agree  that  it  gives  the  ideal  of  a perfectly  happy  people ; the  con. 
ception  up  to  which  we  should  strive  to  rise,  to  make  earth  approxi- 
mately happy  again.  But  man  did  not  there  possess  everything.  He 
was  under  a fixed  series  of  limitations;  not  every  day  his,  but  a sev- 
enth for  the  Lord;  not  everything  his,  but  his  life  sustained  by  the 
labor  of  dressing  and  keeping  the  garden ; not  every  tree  in  it  his,  but 
a reserved  and  forbidden  tree  in  the  midst  of  it.  He  has  a Sabbath 
for  his  soul;  holy  marriage  for  his  social  affections ; honest  labor  for 
his  bodily  sustenance,  and  divine  restrictive  law  for  his  conscience. 
It  sometimes  happens  that  owners  of  land,  meaning  to  give  the  use  of 
it  to  others,  without  alienating  it,  impose  a nominal  rent — a quit  rent, 
the  passing  of  which  acknowledges  the  recipient  as  owner,  and  the 
occupier  as  tenant.  This  is  understood  in  all  lands.  In  many  an  old 
English  “deed,”  “three  barley-corns,”  “a  fat  capon”  or  a “shilling,” 
is  the  consideration  which  permanently  recognizes  the  rights  of  lord- 
ship.  God  taught  man  by  the  forbidden  tree  that  He  was  the  owner, 
that  man  was  Occupier.  He  selected  a matter  of  property  to  be  the 
test  of  man’s  obedience,  the  outward  and  sensible  sign  of  a right  state 
of  heart  to  God;  and  when  man  put  forth  his  hand  and  did  eat,  he 
denied  God’s  ownership,  and  asserted  his  own.  Nothing  remained 
but  to  eject  him.  Now  we  argue  for  the  perpetuity  of  the  Sabbath 
from  its  appointment  in  Eden.  It  was  “made  for  man.”  Why  should 
there  be  reserved  rights  for  God  in  the  matter  of  time,  and  his  rights 
in  the  matter  of  property  be  ignored  ? Is  he  not  still  testing  and  edu- 
cating men  in  the  matter  of  possessions  ? 

Then  in  the  next  generation  of  our  race  we  come  to  Cain  and  Abel, 
(Gen.  iv : 3,  4,)  offering  of  what  they  had  to  God.  You  look  into  the 
commentaries  and  you  find  that  two  questions  occupy  them,  on  this 
part  of  their  history.  One  is  the  origin  of  sacrifice.  How  did  men 
learn  to  sacrifice  ? Some  will  recollect  the  old  idea  to  which  Dr. 
Trench  has  given  recent  currency,  that  the  skins  of  which  Adam’s 
first  clothing  was  made  were  of  beasts  slain  in  sacrifice,  and  that  he 
was  thus  taught  that  he  was  to  be  protected,  through  a sacrifice  that 
would  give  him  righteousness.  One  might  use  it  as  an  interesting 
speculative  illustration;  it  hardly  amounts  to  an  established  truth. 
The  other  question  respects  the  difference  between  Cain’s  offering  and 
Abel’s.  But  surely  a great  question  lies  behind  these.  How  did  the 
sons  of  Adam  come  to  know  that  a gift  of  property  to  Him  would  be 
acceptable  to  God,  the  absolute  owner  of  all  ? Is  it  not  as  fair  an  in- 
ference that  God  must  have  taught  them  this,  as  that  He  taught  them 
how  to  sacrifice?  They  must  have  learnt  somehow  that  God  had 
rights;  that  His  claims  should  be  acknowledged;  that  such  acknowl- 
edgement would  be  well-pleasing  in  his  sight.  Let  us  make  the  same 
acknowledgement,  and  in  Abel’s  spirit,  bearing  in  mind  that  it  is  the 
blood  that  secures  for  us  acceptance  in  the  Divine  presence,  that  “tt> 
us  and  our  offering” — our  persons  first,  and  then  our  gifts — the  Lord 
will  have  respect. 

When  Noah,  (Gen.  viii:  20,)  came  out  of  the  Ark,  with  a small 
stock  of  living  creatures  for  the  re-population,  so  far  as  he  knew,  of 
the  world,  he  offered  a sacrifice  of  living,  clean  beasts,  and  of  every 
clean  fowl.  It  must  have  seemed  imprudent  to  sense,  but  it  was  no- 


loss  to  the  eye  of  faith.  God  blessed  the  remainder,  and  the  sacrifice 
"was  followed  by  the  purpose  not  to  renew  the  curse  on  the  ground  for 
man’s  sake;  by  the  promise  of  seed  time  and  harvest;  by  the  formal 
gift  of  animals  for  food  to  man;  and  by  renewed  blessing  on  Noah 
and  on  his  sons.  How  many  times  curses  would  be  averted  and  bless- 
ings brought  down  by  consecration  of  what  we  have,  however  little  it 
may  seem,  to  him  ! 

Now  we  come  to  Melchizedeck — the  providentially  prepared  type, 
not  of  the  Levitical  priesthood,  but  of  Jesus  Christ.  He  did  not  get 
his  office  from  his  father,  so  far  as  the  histoiy  goes , like  the  Levite,  nor 
transmit  it  to  his  son,  so  far  as  the  history  goes  : hence  he  is  said  to  be 
without  father,  or  descent.  So  far  he  resembles  and  foreshadows  that 
greater  King  of  righteousness,  whose  priesthood,  underived  from  man, 
is  incapable  of  transmission,  who  by  one  offering  perfected  forever  all 
them  that  are  sanctified.  To  this  Melchizedeck,  in  recognition  of  his 
priestly  character,  and  we  may  be  sure  from  the  use  made  of  it  in  the 
Epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  under  divine  guidance,  the  patriarch  gave  a 
tenth.  Everything  about  it — the  mystery  of  the  man — the  chivalry  of 
Abraham  in  battle — and  his  magnanimity  in  victory — gives  interest  to 
this  transaction.  Our  Roman  Catholic  friends  have  pushed  the  type  a 
little  too  far  in  alleging  that  the  bread  and  wine  brought  forth  stand 
fo:  the  Lord’s  Supper.  If  so,  it  is  a Protestant  Communion  with  the 
cup  for  the  laity  that  is  pre-figured  ; but  the  main  point  is  that  the  tithe 
of  the  spoils  is  given  to  the  recognized  representative  of  God.  The 
principle  of  this  gift  was  embodied  in  the  later  Levitical  law,  as  you 
will  see  by  the  examination  of  Lev.  xxvii:  30;  Numb,  xxxi:  28;  and 
2 Sam.,  viii : ii. 

There  is  a strong  prejudice  against  Jacob,  who  never  forgot  his 
4 ‘duty  to  himself ;”  and  that  prejudice  extends  to  his  vow  at  Luz,  as  if 
he  made  a sordid  bargain  with  the  Lord,  conditioning  his  giving  by  the 
Lord’s.  A study  of  the  passage,  however,  shows  that  this  is  unjust  to 
Jacob — God  first  spoke — made  the  overtures  and  promise,  and  his 
“if”  in  reply  is  not  of  doubt,  but  of  certainty.  If — “seeing  that  God 
will  be  with  me,  and  will  keep  me  in  this  way  that  I go,  and  will  give 
me  bread  to  eat,  and  raiment  to  put  on,  so  that  I come  again  to  my 
father’s  house  in  peace ; then  shall  the  Lord  be  my  God : and  this 
stone,  which  I have  set  for  a pillar,  shall  be  God’s  house ; and  of  all 
that  thou  shalt  give  I will  surely  give  the  tenth  unto  thee.”  He  pro- 
ceeds on  the  usual  way  of  grace.  God  has  promised  and  performed, 
therefore  we  serve  him.  It  is  the  same  principle  as  the  Lord’s  word 
to  Israel,  “I  brought  thee  out  of  Egypt,  therefore  love  me.”  Man 
would  reverse  this,  and  love  God  on  condition  of  being  delivered. 
Jacob’s  tenth  was  not  only  in  devout  imitation  of  good  precedent;  it 
was  in  the  spirit  of  all  true  giving  to  the  Lord. 

For,  passing  on  to  the  Mosaic  economy,  it  is  well  known  that  tenths 
or  tithes  were  enjoined  upon  the  Hebrews.  The  Levites  received  a 
tenth  of  the  produce  of  the  land  ; and  of  this,  (for  clergymen  are  not 
exempt  from  the  duty  of  systematic  giving,)  they  again  in  turn  gave  a 
tenth  for  the  purpose  of  the  high  priesthood.  (Numb,  xviii : 2 1-28.  ( 
One  other  tenth  was  paid  by  the  Hebrews  for  the  purpose  of  the  festi- 
vals, and  the  great  educational  and  moral  influences  connected  with 


14 


the  mingling  of  all  the  people  in  the  metropolis  well  repaid  the  out- 
lay. The  testimony  of  Josephus,  and  of  the  apocryphal  book  of 
Tobit,  i:  7,  8,  is  conclusive  on  this  point.  Besides  this  fifth,  every 
third  year  another  tithe  was  paid,  regarding  the  uses  of  which  some 
uncertainty  exists,  the  balance  of  opinion  being  in  favor  of  it  as  a pro- 
vision for  the  stranger,  the  widow,  and  the  fatherless.  (See  Deut.  xiv  : 
22-27.) 

Now,  I confess,  I do  not  feel  much  interest  in  determining  the 
amount  and  designation  of  these  contributions.  The  main  thing  for 
us  to  consider  is  that  in  this  early  time,  when  God  was  organizing  a 
church  on  the  earth,  as  a great  visible  community,  and  impressing  upon 
it  the  characteristics  which  He  intended  to  mark  His  people  in  all  time 
to  come,  the  regular,  systematic,  proportionate  giving  of  property  to 
vHim  was  enjoined  and  enforced  compliance  with  this  rule  was  fol- 
lowed with  blessing;  and  on  the  other  hand,  disregard  or  evasion  of 
it,  was  attended'by  conspicuous  tokens  of  the  divine  displeasure. 

There  is  one  aspect  however  of  the  amount  well  worth  considering. 
On  all  hands  it  is  admitted  that  the  Christian  dispensation  has  enlarged 
our  privileges  and  added  to  our  obligations  to  gratitude.  Now,  are  we 
to  believe  that  while  it  has  lifted  the  believer  to  a higher  level  in  all 
other  things,  it  has  lowered  the  rule  in  the  matter  of  property  ? The 
infant  church  was  taught  by  definite  rules,  and  habituated  by  them  to 
the  working  out  of  great  principles ; are  we  to  believe  that  the  drop- 
ping of  the  rules,  when  the  period  of  pupilage  has  passed  is  the  aban- 
donment of  the  principles  ? Assuredly  not.  We  are  to  give,  to  give 
systematically,  to  give  on  principle,  to  give  proportionately,  and  to 
give  under  the  impulse  of  a great  fact  that  has  colored  and  glorified  all 
our  lives.  “For  ye  know  the  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  that 
though  he  was  rich,  yet  for  your  sakes  he  became  poor,  that  ye, 
through  his  poverty,  might  become  rich.”  (2  Cor.,  viii:  9.) 

Rules  and  fixed  proportions,  it  is  sometimes  thought,  must  check 
liberality.  Let  the  only  other  portion  of  the  Old  Testament  to  which 
I shall  in  this  connection  ask  your  attention,  be  the  rejoinder  to  this 
assumption.  The  Temple  is  to  be  built.  David’s  own  eyes  are  not  to 
see  it,  but  on  it  his  heart  is  set.  He  can  at  least  provide  for  it.  He 
was  a capable  administrator.  Various  ways  were  open  to  him  to  raise 
the  needed  money.  He  could,  if  it  had  been  in  our  time,  have  issued 
bonds,  or  mortgaged  the  revenues  for  a few  years,  but  he  adopted  a 
better  plan.  His  impelling  motive  is  “because  I have  set  my  affection 
to  the  house  of  my  God.”  His  contribution  is  on  this  wise  “of  my 
own  proper  good,”  and  this  over  and  above  what  he  had  “prepared 
with  all  his  might”  “for  the  house  of  his  God.”  See  1 Chron.,  xxix : 
I_3- 

We  reserve  for  another  lecture  the  New  Testament  references  to  this 
subject,  and  now  we  plead  without  fixing  the  proportion,  for  regular 
and  proportionate  giving. 

To  estimate  your  means,  so  as  to  know  what  you  have  and  can  give, 
would  itself  be  a great  gain  in  multitudes  of  cases.  To  have  a Be- 
nevolent Fund  would  amazingly  simplify  and  sweeten  the  process  of 
collecting  and  bestowing.  Who  has  not  seen  the  embarrassment  of  a 
Christian  man,  with  a cause  before  him,  of  which  he  owns  the  good- 


5 


ness,  while  he  is  fighting  the  battle  with  his  own  selfishness,  talking, 
perhaps,  for  talk’s  sake,  but  really  with  his  mind  running  in  other 
directions,  till  at  length  the  decision  is  reached,  the  victory  is  won,  and 
he  becomes  frank,  at  his  ease,  affable  and  happy. 

Do  not  say  you  do  not  like  arithmetical  proportions.  Alas  ! you 
cannot  escape  arithemetical  proportions,  while  in  the  world.  You  may 
reduce  the  fraction,  and  give  a fifteenth  or  a twentieth,  but  it  is  still 
arithmetical.  We  want  it  to  be  in  some  fair  proportion  to  what  you 
ought  to  give.  Do  not  say  you  are  “always  being  asked.”  That  is 
not  the  point.  In  the  present  loose  method,  or  no  method,  one  is  apt 
to  put  together  the  cases  of  refusal,  and  of  giving,  and  the  refusal  is 
the  more  likely  of  the  two  to  remain  in  one’s  mind  because  it  some- 
times troubles  conscience.  Remember  you  are  always  receiving  from 
goodness,  from  mercy,  from  grace. 

Do  not  say  that  you  have  had  losses,  and  can  give  nothing.  The 
proportion  may  be  altered  by  this,  but  until  you  have  lost  all  and  have 
nothing,  the  claim  remains.  Why  should  we  charge  the  losses  wholly 
to  the  benevolent  fund  ? Is  there  not  a comfort  fund,  a luxury  fund, 
a saving  fund  ? We  smile  at  the  little  English  boy  who  devoted  one 
of  the  two  sixpences  given  him  on  a holiday  to  the  heathen,  and  on 
losing  one  of  them  congratulated  himself  on  the  fact  that  it  was  the 
one  he  had  devoted  to  the  heathen.  But  do  we  not  charge  losses  in 
precisely  the  same  way  to  the  Lord?  “Time  is  money,”  say  business 
men.  Well,  in  the  matter  of  time,  you  give  a seventh  to  the  Lord, 
and  as  much  more  as  you  can  in  the  closet,  family,  prayer  meeting, 
and  Christian  service,  and  you  find  it  better  to  have  six-sevenths  for 
yourself  and  one-seventh  for  God,  than  the  whole  for  yourself.  Why 
not  do  so  with  money — one-tenth  at  least  to  Him,  and  as  much  more 
as  you  can,  and  you  will  find  the  nine-tenths  for  yourself  better  than 
the  whole  for  self,  for  God’s  blessing  hallows  and  conserves  the  re- 
mainder. 


-LECTURE  III. 


In  the  opening  lecture  it  was  shown,  we  trust,  that  there  was  need — 
present  and  urgent — to  discuss  among  Christian  people  the  subject  of 
Christian  stewardship ; and  secondly,  that  for  thorough  and  systematic 
teaching  on  the  subject,  the  ministry  must  be  largely  responsible. 

In  the  second  lecture,  attention  was  called  to  the  general  and  mis- 
chievous tendency  to  displace  the  Old  Testament ; to  its  teaching  on 
•this  subject  among  the  rudimentary  and  fundamental  religious  ideas; 
ideas  which  the  New  Testament  no  more  sets  aside  in  their  obligations 
than  the  higher  mathematics  may  be  thought  to  set  aside  the  multipli- 
cation table.  The  law  of  Eden,  the  course  of  Abel  and  of  Cain,  the 
sacrifice  of  Noah,  ^and  the  tithe-giving  of  Abraham  were  passed  in 
review,  and  we  saw  how  they  showed  that  while  men  were  learning 
the  first  principles  of  the  knowledge  and  service  of  God  Almighty, 
•and  the  church  was  receiving,  through  manifold  and  necessary  ar- 
rangements, a language  in  which  to  express  religious  truth,  in  the  very 
heart  of  all  her  vows,  services,  and  worship  is  .the  consecration  of 
means  upon  a definite  and  calculated  plan,  unto  Jehovah.  Jacob  was 
■vindicated  from  the  charge  of  a mercenary  and  sharp  bargain -maker 
with  the  Lord,  and  it  was  held  that  he  did  precisely  as  we  do.  Be- 
cause the  Lord  promises  so  much,  he  in  his  turn  gives  gratefully  to  the 
Lord.  The  Mosaic  tithe  system  was  vindicated  against  the  charge  of 
fettering  spontaneous  giving,  by  the  splendid  liberality  of  David  in 
giving  beforehand  for  the  Lord’s  house.  We  now  proceed  to  consider 
New  Testament  principles,  and  the  lessons  they  teach  us. 

For  it  would  carry  us  far  beyond  the  necessary  limits  of  this  course 
to  enter  upon  multitudinous  references  in  the  later  Old  Testament 
Scriptures  to  the  honoring  of  God  by  property.  How  fondly  the 
Psalms  dwell  on  the  sacrifices  to  be  given  to  the  Lord,  and  the  joy  of 
coming  into  his  courts  and  bringing  an  offering ! Yet  how  clearly  they 
discriminate  between  God  as  a receiver,  and  man  as  a beneficiary. 
Does  He  need  our  gifts,  to  whom  belong  the  cattle  on  a thousand  hills  ? 
If  he  were  hungry  would  he  tell  us  ? How  entirely  it  is  of  His  grace 
and  for  the  showing  forth  of  His  glory  that  we  offer  to  Him  thanks- 
givings and  pay  our  vows!  With  what  scathing  directness  do  the 
prophets  rebuke  the  sordid  shifts  of  Israel  to  keep  the  letter  and  evade 
the  spirit  of  the  law  ! How  fearful  are  the  judgments  denounced 
against  the  favored  nation  that  treated  its  Jehovah  with  contempt  of 
which  the  blind  devotion  of  the  heathen  was  a rebuke ! and  how  ex- 
plicit and  precious  are  the  promises  of  God’s  blessings  poured  out  like 
the  rain-floods,  where  all  the  tithes  are  brought  into  the  store-house, 
and  his  ordinances  are  duly  and  amply  provided  for ! On  these  we 
may  not  dwell,  except  to  emphasize  one  point.  We  are  too  apt  to 
think  of  the  prophets  of  the  Old  Testament  as  only  the  predictors  of 
future  events,  and  their  value  in  the  economy  of  grace  mainly  to  lie  in 
providing  beforehand  for  one  department  of  evidence  in  favor  of  the 


17 


Divine  origin  of  Revelation.  But  surely  we  must  not  overlook  the 
fact  that  they  were  the  teachers  of  their  time,  doing  the  work  of  pub- 
lic instructois,  reproving  sin  and  calling  to  repentance.* *  What  they 
did  by  direct  divine  guidance,  we  ministers  have  to  do  on  the  author- 
ity of  the  word.  The  theme  which  so  frequently  engaged  them  we 
may  not  overlook.  It  should  have  in  our  preaching,  to  say  the  least, 
a place  proportionally  as  large  as  it  has  in  the  holy  oracles.  By  the 
laws  and  customary  arrangements  of  churches  in  America,  ministers 
have  little  to  do  with  the  finances  of  the  churches — as  far  as  erecting 
and  sustaining  churches  is  concerned.  But  with  the  whole  business 
of  benevolence  they  have  the  closest  connection,  and  here  they  have 
opportunity,  and  are  under  obligation,  “to  reprove,  rebuke  and  exhort 
with  all  long-suffering  and  doctrine.”  In  addition  to  giving  for  them- 
selves, as  they  can,  they  can  set  forth  the  divine  testimony  on  this 
great  theme : and  as  a general  rule  the  people  will  be  as  they  are 
taught.  If  a minister  holds  his  peace  as  to  foreign  and  home  missions, 
lest  the  demands  so  made  on  the  people  should  cripple  the  immediate 
church  finances,  lest  the  people,  urged  to  generosity,  should  not  be 
just,  he  will  find  them  in  time  indifferent  to  foreign  and  to  congrega- 
tional objects  also.  He  will  be  punished  in  the  way  of  his  sin,  for 
church  members  that  err  in  one  direction  will  be  ready  to  err  in  an- 
other. To  train  a narrow-hearted,  selfish  people,  who  will  calculate 
to  a nicety  on  just  how  much  a minister  can  exist  among  them — how 
many  children  he  has — and  such  other  nice  points  as  only  come  into 
reckoning  with  the  clerical  profession — you  have  only  to  keep  them  in 
ignorance  of  truth  and  duty  regarding  the  claims  of  missions.  But 
on  the  other  hand  teach  men  to  feel  that  “Jesus  is  worthy  to  receive 
riches,”  and  interest  them  in  the  field  which  is  the  world,  and  they  will 
be  all  the  more  ready  to  “provide  for  their  own,”  and  to  secure  the 
maintenance  of  divine  ordinances  among  themselves : and  if  any  one 
demand  authority  for  doing  such  work,  let  him  turn  to  the  pastoral 
epistles.  Paul  enjoins  upon  Timothy,*  “Charge  them  that  are  rich  in 
this  world,  that  they  be  not  highminded,  nor  trust  in  uncertain  riches, 
but  in  the  living  God,  who  giveth  us  richly  all  things  to  enjoy;  that 
they  do  good,  that  they  be  rich  in  good  works,  ready  to  distribute, 
willing  to  communicate ; laying  up  in  store  for  themselves  a good  foun- 
dation against  the  time  to  come,  that  they  may  lay  hold  on  eternal  life.” 

Nor  is  it  only  in  the  abstract  enforcement  of  privilege  and  duty  a 
minister  is  to  lead  a people  to  liberality.  The  collection  for  home  or 
Indian  missions  is  to  be  taken  on  a given  Sabbath.  The  pastor  reads 
his  sermon  through  to  the  end,  without  one  scrap  of  information,  one 
statement  of  the  need,  one  glimpse  of  the  work,  and  then  adds  at  its  v 


' We  ought  not  to  disregard  the  suggestive  fact  that  as  we  advance  in  the  Old  Testament,  the 
priest,  in  the  usual  sense,  loses  his  importance,  and  the  prophet,  as  the  preacher,  comes  into  promi- 
nence, so  preparing  the  world  for  the  dispensation  where  God’s  ministers  should  be  emphatically 
preachers,  and  in  no  sense  sacerdotal  officers.  Even  so  the  “synagogues  in  the  land,”  prepared 
for  the  Christian  congregations  scattered  over  all  lands  and  without  any  such  visible  centre  as  the 
temple  at  Jerusalem  afforded.  To  the  Temple,  from  the  division  of  the  kingdom,  the  captivity, 
and  the  frequent  disturbances,  the  habit  of  repairing  must  have  been  sadly  interrupted  for  long 
periods.  Then  the  synagogues  rendered  good  service  in  keeping  alive  the  knowledge  of  the  sta- 
tutes of  the  Lord. 

*1  Tim.  vi:  17,  18,  19.  At  that  time  not  many  Christians  were  “rich”  in  the  American  sense  of 
that  word.  But  “rich”  is  a relative  term,  and  a proportion  can  be  taken  from  a thousand  dollars 
as  truly  as  from  a million. 


8 


close,  “the  collection  will  now  be  made.”  Surely  the  incongruity  and 
inconsecutivenes$  must  be  felt.  Collection  for  what  ? But  suppose  he 
had  made  his  sermon  like  the  epistle  to  the  Ephesians — one-half  of  it 
full  of  sublime  doctrine,  and  then  proceeded  with  a vivid,  earnest,  in- 
telligible statement  of  that  which  was  being  attempted  and  effected,  so 
that  the  field  should  be  before  the  people,  as  in  some  sense  theirs,  their 
brethren  on  it  in  their  name  and  in  Christ’s,  sowing  the  seed  with  tears, 
and  the  sheaves  to  be,  in  some  sense,  theirs  also,  and  the  loving, 
pitying  eye  of  Jesus  over  all,  and  then  closed  with  “now,  breth- 
ren, we  are  to  give  our  portion  to  carry  on  this  work,”  in  what  a 
different  attitude  the  whole  case  stands!  I know  a church  where 
members  often  put  in  their  cards,  and  the  amount  marked  on 
them  is  called  Tor  during  the  week.  A gentleman  had  filled  up  his 
card  beforehand  for  $500.  In  the  course  of  the  sermon  he  was  ob- 
served to  get  it  out,  and  after  some  fumbling  for  a pencil,  and  some 
use  of  it,  it  was  found  that  the  card  was  put  in  with  the  “5”  scored 
out  and  a “10”  in  its  place.  He  saw  the  nature  and  magnitude  of  the 
work  and  the  motive  to  give  was  evoked.  Why  should  we  insult  our 
people  by  supposing  that  they  are  to  do  their  Christian  work  on  our 
dictation  ? It  is  no  adequate  reason  for  a man’s  denying  himself  to 
give  that  the  pastor  and  deacons  resolve  on  a “collection.”  Christian 
men  are  entitled  to  be  told  why  and  wherefore  they  give  their  money, 
and  to  get  information  as  to  the  use  made  of  it.  Thus  giving  is  to  be 
intelligent,  that  it  may  be  a sacrifice  well-pleasing  unto  God. 

If  it  be  said  that  ministers  would  find  it  hard  to  prepare  and  preach 
such  sermons,  I had  almost  said,  more  shame  for  them  ! Why  should 
they  find  it  hard  ? Is  there  want  of  information  ? Is  the  subject  with- 
out interest  to  them  ? If  I had  met  a United  States  officer  at  any  time 
between  i860  and  1864  who  did  not  know  how  the  war  was  going,  I 
should  have  wondered  what  right  he  had  to  his  uniform : and  ministers 
are  officers  in  the  great  Christian  host,  and  may  be  expected  by  fur- 
nishing of  suitable  intelligence  to  the  people  in  the  church,  and  to  the 
young  in  the  Sabbath  School,  to  stimulate,  educate  and  direct,  so  that 
sympathy  shall  flow,  prayer  be  offered,  and  money  be  given,  as  all 
true  praise  is  given,  with  the  understanding  and  with  the  heart. 

But  without  dwelling  on  a thing  so  obvious,  when  fairly  considered, 
let  us  turn  to  the  New  Testament  and  see  in  what  aspect  our  topic  is 
there  presented.  Our  Redeemer  opens  his  commission  in  the  sermon 
on  the  mount,  in  which  he  clears  the  original  law  from  the  glosses  and 
misinterpretations  in  which  the  Rabbinical  casuists  had  concealed  its 
true  spirit,  and  sets  it  forth  in  connection  with  that  gospel  of  grace  and 
holiness  of  life,  of  which  He,  in  His  person  and  work,  is  the  means 
and  the  foundation ; and  a section  of  this  discourse  goes  to  almsgiving — 
which  He  found  among  the  people — which  He  endorses  and  clears 
from  the  ostentation  and  pride  of  a corrupt  and  formal  church.  Give, 
He  says,  as  to  God,  for  His  sake,  and  not  for  man’s,  nor  your  own.* 


*“  Let  not  thy  right  hand  know  what  thy  left  hand  doeth”  (Matt,  vi : 1-4,)  is  commonly  regarded 
as  simply  meaning  “do  not  blazon  abroad  your  gifts  ; do  not  talk  about  them  to  others.”  But  the 
left  hand  and  right  hand  both  belong  to  the  man  himself.  The  meaning  is— do  not  indulge  self- 
complacency  , do  not  applaud  yourself  ; do  net  commune  with  your  own  heart-  about  what  you 
have  done.  A man  may  be  too  proud  to  speak  of  his  givings  to  his  neighbors,  while  nursing  a 
most  offensive  self-satisfaction  before  the  eye  that  searcheth  the  heart. 


9 


It  is  not  needful  to  theological  students  to  enter  in  detail  into  the 
words  of  our  Lord,  and  the  incidents  of  His  life  that  bear  on  this  sub- 
ject. You  will  recall  the  widow  who  attracted  His  notice  and  com- 
mendation, with  her  two  mites— her  all.  You  will  find  many  a man 
doing  shameful  violence  to  her  memory  as  he  offers  his  “mite,”  and 
quietly  appropriates  to  himself  her  place,  when  he  has  not  the  least 
right  to  it.  You  will  remember  how  He  taught  by  the  forethought  of 
the  unjust  steward  the  lesson  to  saints  “make  to  yourselves  friends  of 
the  mammon  of  unrighteousness,  that  when  ye  fail  they  may  receive 
you  into  everlasting  habitations.”  (Luke  xvi : 9.)  Money  is  like  fire — - 
a good  servant,  a bad  master.  Do  not  let  it  be  your  master.  If  you  do, 
it  will  blind  your  mind,  harden  your  heart,  hurry  you  into  divers  and 
hurtful  lusts,  and  consume  your  life.  If  you  make  it  your  servant,  use 
it  aright,  it  can  be  transmuted  by  your  wise  and  holy  employment  of  it 
into  a friend,  a comfort,  a reward  in  the  world  into  which  you  enter 
when  you  cease  to  live  in  this.  For,  that  morbid  fear  of  the  idea  of 
reward,  unhappily  bred  in  us  in  violent  reaction  against  a salvation 
by  mercenary  working  and  giving,  does  not  once  appear  in  our  Lord’s 
teaching.  He  does  not  fear,  and  His  apostles  do  not  fear,  to  speak 
of  it  in  the  plainest  and  most  emphatic  language — a “great  reward  in 
heaven,”  (Mat.  v:  12)  “openly”  given,  (Matt,  vi : 4) — how  openly  the 
judgment  delineated  in  Matt.  xxv.  may  show — a “prophet’s  reward, 
(Matt,  x:  41);  a “righteous  man’s  reward,”  a reward  that  shall  not  be 
lost,  (Matt,  x:  42;  a reward  to  “every  man  according  to  his  works,” 
(Matt,  xvi:  27.)  These  are  among  our  Lord’s  utterances  on  earth. 
And  when  He  had  been  in  His  glory,  and  is  announcing  to  the  be- 
loved disciple  in  Patmos  His  second  advent,  it  is  with  this  feature : 
“I  come  quickly;  and  my  reward  is  with  me  to  give  to  every  man 
according  as  his  work  shall  be.”  If  these  words  mean  anything  they 
imply  that  while  entrance  into  His  kingdom  is  by  grace,  and  in  it  here 
we  are  kept  by  the  power  of  God,  that  place  in  it  hereafter  shall  be 
affected  by  our  fidelity,  or  otherwise,  in  His  service  on  the  earth. 

And  the  acts  of  Christ  are  in  the  same  direction  as  his  words. 
How  freely  He  gave ! He  keeps  nothing  back— from  the  five  loaves 
and  two  fishes,  all  that  was  on  hand  for  His  whole  company — through 
gifts  of  healing,  up  to  His  own  “life  a ransom  for  many.”  'A  woman 
brought  out  her  stored  ointment  and  poured  it  on  Him.  The  covetous 
Judas  grudged  the  money’s  worth  so  wasted;  and  some  of  the  disciples 
shared  in  the  exception.  How  Jesus  vindicated  her!  Even  the  plea 
set  up  for  the  centurion  by  the  Jews,  “He  loveth  our  nation  and  hath 
built  us  a synagogue,”  which  a right  instinct  brought  before  Christ,  He 
does  not  spurn  in  disregard. 

So  the  future  bearing  of  talent,  consecrated  to  Him,  the  apostles 
plainly  recognize.  They  exhort  us  not  to  be  “beguiled  of  our  reward,” 
(Col.  ii:  18);  they  counsel  us  to  the  doing  of  such  work  as  will  “abide 
the  fire,  that  we  may  receive  a reward,”  (1  Cor.  iii:  14);  they  define 
the  reward  as  of  “the  inheritance,”  (Col.  iii:  24);  and  most  justly,  for 
it  is  as  children  and  heirs  we  get  it;  they  credit  Moses  with  having 
“respect  to  the  recompense  of  the  reward,”  (Heb.  xi:  26),  and  they 
encourage  us  to  have  the  same,  and  look  for  “a  full  reward,”  (2  John 
v:  8).  Now  it  is  of  no  use,  or  even  propriety,  to  say  we  are  not  to 


20 


dwell  on  all  this,  lest  it  be  abused.  The  true  protection  against  abuse 
is  not  to  slur  over  and  keep  back  part  of  the  divine  testimony,  but  to 
tell  the  whole  of  it.  There  never  was  such  a thoroughly  balanced 
system  of  moral  checks  and  county-checks  as  we  have  in  the  gospel,* 
and  if  we  only  let  divine  truths  all  stand  out  in  their  place  and  pro- 
portion as  they  are  in  the  word,  the  devout  soul  will  be  kept  in  the 
right  way. 

We  do  not  wonder,  therefore,  that  when  the  spirit  is  poured  out  on 
the  believers  at  Pentecost,  one  of  its  earliest  manifestations  should  be 
in  the  free  employment  of  goods  for  Christian  use.  The  attempt  has 
been  made  to  identify  this  display  of  unselfishness  and  generosity  with 
communism,  but  on  most  insufficient  grounds.  Communism  declares 
property  a crime.  Christians  did  nothing  of  the  kind.  “While”  the 
land  was  unsold  by  Ananias  and  Sapphira,  it  was  their  “own,”  and, 
when  sold,  the  money  was  in  their  “own  power.”  It  was  not  that  no 
one  owned  anything,  but  in  overflowering,  overmastering  love,  and  pre- 
occupation with  other  and  higher  things,  no  one  said  that  anything  he 
possessed  was  his  own;  and,  when  occasion  arose,  believers,  like 
Barnabas  (Acts  iv:  35-37),  turned  real  estate  into  money  for  common 
Christian  uses. 

We  are  apt  to  modify  our  estimate  of  the  example  the  apostolic 
church  here  set,  by  reference  to  the  peculiar  circumstances.  The  love 
of  the  believers  was  fresh  and  ardent;  they  felt  the  vivid  joy  of  a new 
discovery;  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Ghost  was' abundant  and  miracu- 
lous; there  were  special  needs  created  by  a body  of  persons  remaining 
in  Jerusalem,  and  possibly  many  anticipated  the  introduction  of  a state 
of  affairs  when  property  would  be  useless.  Yet  our  right  to  turn  away 
the  point  of  this  case  from  our  consciences  is  not  so  strong  as  we  may 
suppose.  The  spirit  of  God  is  not  limited  as  a gift  to  us;  we  have 
more  for  which  to  be  thankful  than  the  Pentecostal  believers,  in  our 
free  condition,  and  as  the  heirs  of  all  the  preceding  Christian  ages; 
there  are  wants  to  be  met  now,  and  work  to  be  done  now,  not  common 
to  this  band  of  believers 'and  ourselves;  and,  in  point  of  fact,  are  we 
not  all  approaching  a time,  which  may  come  to  any  of  us  momentarily, 
when  property,  as  such,  will  avail  us  nothing?  j*  It  is  mainly  the  bap- 
tism of  the  Holy  Ghost  we  need  to  bring  us  under  the  power  of  the 
world  to  come,  and  to  teach  us  to  use  the  world  as  not  abusing  it. 

Of  the  importance  attached  by  the  apostle  Paul  to  the  right  use  of 
money,  the  references  he  makes  to  the  Church  at  Philippi,  give  us  the 
means  of  judging.  How  cordial,  confidential  and  appreciative  is  he  all 
through  the  epistle  to  that  church!  It  was  the  first  he  founded, — the 


* How  complete  is  the  illustration  of  this  truth  in  the  case  of  a believer’s  assurance.  An  on- 
looker, without  experience,  might  say,  “Why,  if  a man  is  assured  of  his  final  safety,  he  has  not 
the  natural  restraint  from  sin  ” But  let  a believer  try  the  principle  of  sinning  because  he  is 
safe,  and  the  very  idea  of  it  obscures  his  view  of  his  safety.  So  far  as  his  assurance  is  based  on 
the  testimony  of  his  spirit,  and  God’s  spirit  with  his,  it  is  lost,  with  the  loss  of  holy  purposes. 

t Without  regard  to  death,  many  occasions  arise  when  to  give  money  away  would  be  to  save  it. 
There  are  persons  who,  had  they  sold  their  real  estate  three  years  ago,  and  used  half  the  proceeds 
for  Christian  ends,  would  have  been  richer  than  they  are  to-day,  even  in  money.  The  “shrinkage” 
of  three  years  would  have  paid  all  the  churfch  debts  and  replenished  all  the  empty  benevolent 
treasuries.  A good  man,  whose  property  the  war  swept  away,  used  to  point  with  devout  gratitude 
to  God  to  a minister  he  had  carried  through  college  and  seminary  in  the  time  of  his  prosperity,  as 
a part  of  his  wealth  that  would  not  be  lost. 


first  church  in  Europe.  (See  Acts  xvi:  9-12.)  When  he  was  a prisoner 
in  Rome,  and  had  not  a few  difficulties  surrounding  him,  the  warm- 
hearted believers  remembered  the  apostle,  and  once  and  again  sent  to 
his  need  in  money,  or  in  comforts.  . He  “rejoiced  in  the  Lord  greatly.” 
It  was  not  the  first  time,  (Phil,  iv:  16),  but  on  the  other  occasions  he 
was  comparatively  near.  He  counts  their  liberality  “fruit  that  abounds 
to  their  account.”  For  he  looks  away  from  himself.  He  thinks  how 
the  service  is  regarded  from  the  Lord’s  side,  whose  servant  he  is.  It  is 
“an  odor  of  a sweet  smell,  a sacrifice  acceptable,  well-pleasing  to  God,” 
(v.  18)  and  it  shall  not  go  unrewarded.  God,  not  Paul,  is  the  pay- 
master. He  “shall  supply  all  you  need,  according  to  his  riches  in 
glory  by  Christ  Jesus.”  (v.  19.)  We  hear  to-day  many  a Macedonian 
cry.  Oh!  that  we  had  in  response  Macedonian  liberality!  For  the 
Philippian  believers  had  like-minded  fellow-givers  elsewhere  in  Mace- 
donia, as  we  learn  from  2 Cor.,  chapters  viii.  and  ix.,  when  the  efforls 
were  made  on  behalf  of  the  poor  saints  at  Jerusalem.  They  gave 
abundantly,  though  they  were  the  poor  of  a poor  province,  and  they 
did  not  require  to  be  entreated,  but  they,  on  the  contrary,  entreated 
the  apostles  to  take  their  money  and  use  it  for  the  benefit  of  the  poor 
- saints  at  Jerusalem.  Indeed,  it  is  impossible  to  find  more  elevated 
views  of  Christian  giving,  or  more  inspiring  presentations  of  the  grace 
than  in  these  chapters. 

It  is  in  the  same  connection  that  Paul  had  already  given  an  “order” 
as  to  the  best  and  wisest  way  of  raising  the  money  for  the  “Collection 
for  the  Saints,”  (1  Cor.  xvi:  2):  “Now,  concerning  the  collection  for 
the  saints,  as  I have  given  order  to  the  churches  of  Galatia,  even  so  do 
ye.  * Upon  the  first  day  of  the  week  let  every  one  of  you  lay  by  him 
in  store,  as  God  hath  prospered  him,  that  there  be  no  gatherings  when 
I come.”  We  think,  in  some  instances,  undue  stress  is  laid  on  this 
passage,  as  if  it  were  meant  in  its  terms  for  all  churches,  and  for  all 
time,  and  as  if  it  enjoined  a contribution  to  God’s  cause  every  Lord’s 
Day.  Whatever  may  be  said  for  this  on  other  grounds  drawn  by  infer- 
ence from  this  passage,  it  does  not  directly  so  teach.  All  that  is 
enjoined  is  that,  as  the  money  was  to  be  raised,  and  raised  without 
friction,  or  pressure,  or  anything  to  destroy  the  fine  aroma  (“sweet- 
smelling savor,”)  of  a gift  of  Christian  love,  the  Corinthian  Christian 
should,  on  the  first  day  of  the  week,  lay  aside,  for  this  end,  such  a 
portion  of  his  means  as  God’s  blessing  had  given  him;  in  order  that 
the  whole  might  be  placed  in  the  proper  hands  when  Paul  came  for  it. 
Undoubtedly  the  principle  of  this  is  wise  and  widely  applicable. 
“Every  one”  is  exhorted  to  give.  The  standard  for  every  one  is  “as 
God  hath  prospered  him.”  The  time  of  consecration  is  “the  first  day 
of  the  week,”  with  all  its  memories  and  associations  of  blessings.  On 
that  day  God  is  worshiped  and  served  with  the  heart,  the  lips,  the 
time,  the  body,  as  it  is  bowed  before  him.  Why  not  also  with  the 
means  He  has  given?  When  can  the  struggle  with  native  selfishness 
be  more  hopefully  entered  upon  than  on  the  day  of  the  Son  of  Man, 
who,  though  He  was  rich,  for  our  sakes  became  poor?  (2  Cor.  viii:  9.) 
The  spirit  of  this  direction — which  we  may  be  sure  is  given  in  perfect 
adaptation  to  man’s  nature,  his  difficulties,  and  the  helps  he  needs — 
would  be  carried  out  apparently  by  laying  aside  at  such  times  as  we 


22 


come  into  possession  of  our  means  of  living,  as  weekly,  monthly, 
yearly,  or  annually  as  at  stock-taking,  of  what  in  our  prayerful  and 
conscientious  judgment  we  should  give  to  the  Lord,  so  that,  as  stated 
in  the  last  lecture,  there  be  no  need  to  fight  the  battle,  or  divide  in 
haste,  and  perhaps  in  unfavorable  conditions,*  when  the  appeal  is 
made  to  us. 

This  would  lay  the  foundation  of  habits  of  systematic  beneficence , which 
is  not  giving  when  “in  the  humor,”  when  asked  by  persons  whom  we 
are  willing  to  compliment,  or  unwilling  to  refuse;  not  giving  “now  and 
then;”  for  what  important  cause  can  be  so  sustained?  Nor  is  it  giving 
one  great  donation  at  death,  when  the  suspicion  is  always  liable  to  be 
raised  that  we  kept  it  as  long  as  we  could  and  only  surrendered  it  to 
the  Lord  when  we  could  do  no  better.  Nor  is  it  giving  a trifle,  how- 
ever regularly,  but  “as  God  hath  prospered.” 

There  can  be  laid  down  no  absolute  and  fixed  rule  for  adjusting  the 
claims  between  self  and  God.  No  mechanical  arrangement,  no  arith- 
metical proportion  can  be  perfect  and  satisfactory  in  all  cases.  Selfish- 
ness can  evade  in  some  instances.  The  pressure  of  any  rigid  rule  may 
be  unequal,  but  the  difficulty  of  adjusting  a rule  for  an  income  tax, 
and  the  admission  that  no  plan  was  absolutely  perfect,  do  not  touch 
the  right  of  imposing  it  in  emergencies  and  its  general  obligation.  The 
precedents  in  scriptures — Old  Testament  or  New,  we  do  not  press  as 
formal  injunctions  and  authorities  as  to  amounts,  but  as  examples;  we 
do  not  allege  that  they  are  to  be  servilely  imitated  by  us,  but  that 
Christians  who  feel  that  the  Lamb,  their  Saviour,  is  worthy,  should  catch, 
in  their  higher  place,  the  spirit  of  the  same,  and  wishing  to  glorify  Him 
in  their  prosperity,  should  follow  these  precedents  until  they  find  a 
better  plan  demonstrated  on  all  the  lines  of  argument,  scripture,  ex- 
perience and  observation. 

These  are  the  objects  for  which  Christian  people  may  lawfully  make 
money.  They  may  be  defined  sharply.  The  first  is  giving.  Does  that 
startle  you?  Think  of  the  advice  given  to  a converted  thief  by  an 
apostle,  when  we  would  have  advised,  first  of  all  and  most  urgently, 
to  earn  an  honest  living:  “Let  him  that  stole,  steal  no  more,  but 
rather  let  him  labor,  working  with  his  hands  the  thing  which  is  good, 
that  he  may  have  to  give  to  him  that  needeth.”  (Eph.  iv:  28).  How 
godliness  draws  out  by  appeals  the  best  part  of  man  to  the  noblest 
uses!  How  many  think  l)f  their  first  fruits  as  for  the  Lord?  How 
often  the  first  earned  money  is  laid  out  unworthily ! How  many  would 
be  unable,  as  they  think  of  the  uses  to  which  spare  money  goes,  to  say 
with  the  devout  Israelite,  “I  have  not  taken  away  ought  thereof  for 
any  unclean  use.”  Let  God’s  portion  come  out  of  the  front  of  the  heap. 
The  gift  will  consecrate  the  remainder. 

The  second,  object  which  men  may  lawfully  contemplate,  is  increase 
of  capital.  Every  man  is  warranted,  if  not  bound,  to  consider  this. 


* It  is  easy  to  see  how  contingencies  are  encountered  in  our  present  hap  hazard,  desultory  way  of 
proceeding.  A case  is  to  be  “ presented;”  shrewd  calculations  are  made  as  to  the  best  men  to  pre- 
sent it;  another  set  cf  calculations  follows  as  to  the  time,  and  place,  and  way.  One  must  discover 
the  mollia  teinpora  fandi.  The  expected  donor  may  be  ruffled  in  temper,  or  have  had  disagreeable 
letters,  or  made  a loss,  or  been  vexed  by  some  professing  Christian,  and  if  the  allocation  of  a por- 
tion of  his  property  is  then  and  there  to  be  deliberated  upon,  how  little  hope  is  there  for  the  right 
decision1.  Is  this  the  way  in  which  the  Lord’s  cause  should  be  upheld? 


The  man  who  lays  by  five  dollars  is  a capitalist — a truth  forgotten  by 
the  brawling  missionaries  of  discontent,  who  denounce  the  rich  in  a 
spirit  of  fanatical  socialism.  This  capital  may  go  to  enlargement  of 
business,  insurance  of  life  with  provision  for  old  age  or  sickness,  or 
for  dependents.  Religion  and  good  sense  go  together,  and  it  were 
well  for  us  in  America  if  we  remembered  in  this  particular  their  joint 
counsel. 

The  third  object  for  which  money  may  be  made  is  for  the  present 
comfort  of  one’s  self  and  of  those  dependent  upon  us.  Nature  and 
revelation  are  at  one  again  as  to  this  obligation.  All  men  know  the 
worse  than  infidelity  of  the  “loafer,”  idler,  roue  or  drunkard,  who 
does  not  provide  for  his  own.  The  three  may  be  concisely  stated  as 
giving,  saving,  spending.  Most  persons  devote  too  much  to  the  last 
object;  a smaller  number  overrate  the  second.  The  smallest  number 
do  anything  like  justice  to  the  first,  and  even  good  men  do  not  generally 
put  the  objects  in  this  order,  but  the  reverse,  spending,  saving,  giving. 
But  there  is  danger  here 'of  “robbing  God,”  of  coming  to  Him  as  no 
pious  Jew  would  come,  “empty.”  They  do  not  “honor  the  Lord  with 
their  substance  and  with  the  first  fruits  of  their  increase.” 

Now,  the  scripture  precedents  have  this  use  to  us,  that  they  may  aid 
us  in  determining  God’s  proportion.  They  give  us  a good  starting 
point.  Let  no  one  plead  in  extenuation  that  such  a course  is  not 
formally  commanded.  Will  you  be  good  enough  to  search  your  Bibles 
for  a formal  command  to  pray  ? The  first  formal  command  is  in  Psalm 
cxxii:  6,  many  hundred  years  after  the  founding  of  the  Jewish  Church 
— and  it  is  for  Zion.  Prayer  was  offered  and  accepted  in  innumerable 
cases  before  this.  So  these  offerings,  though  not  formally  commanded, 
were  offered  and  accepted,  and,  in  proper  circumstances,  regulated  by 
the  divine  appointment.  Leviticus  calls  new  machinery  into  existence, 
but  it  affirms  the  old  principle  of  a proportion  for  God.  The  New 
Testament  modifies  the  machinery,  but  it  does  not  abrogate  the  prin- 
ciple. 

Now  we  plead  for  this  systematic  giving,  albeit  it  is  disliked  by  the 
covetous,  who  deem  all  lost  that  is  given  away;  by  the  heretics,  who 
think  we  may  do  what  we  will  with  our  own;  by  the  lazy,  who  dislike 
the  trouble  of  examining  and  deciding;  by  the  double-minded,  who  wish 
to  have  a by-way  by  which  to  escape  duty  somewhere  between  ‘ ‘ God 
and  their  own  conscience.”  We  plead  for  it  because  of  the  evils  of 
our  present  experiences.  Men  are  liable  to  group  what  is  in  the  spend- 
ing department  with  what  is  in  the  giving.  The  burden  laid  on  Chris- 
tians who  try  to  raise  money  is  too  hard.  The  plan  we  have  works 
unequally.  The  favored  few  in  a great  city  are  permitted  to  do  a 
disproportionate  part  of  the  giving,  and  the  object  is  too  often  estimated, 
not  by  its  merits,  but  by  the  dignity  of  him  who  presents  it;  a lady, 
particularly  if  good-looking,  is  supposed  to  succeed  where  one  of  the 
other  sex  would  fail.  A major-general  would  get  more  than  a colonel, 
and  I presume  a bishop  of  the  modern  sort  more  than  an  ordinary 
clergyman.  Men  have  to  be  coaxed,  manoeuvred,  sometimes  bullied 
into  giving.  There  is  competitive  giving.  The  cheerfulness  is  too 
often  lacking,  and  the  worldly  wisdom,  which  is  spiritual  foolishness, 
brought  into  use  to  obtain  money,  I should  fear  would  drive  away  the 


24 


blessing  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  We  would  introduce  a new  kind  of  pro- 
j:>ortion;  for  proportion  has  been  introduced.  How  often  men  will 
give  “as  much  as  my  neighbor,”  which  sometimes  means  a rival  in 
trade,  or  “as  much  as  any  of  my  neighbors.”  We  would  do  away 
with  all  those  unspoken  and  sometimes  unutterable  reasons  for  pub- 
lishing the  names  of  subscribers,  whether  to  please  them  or  to  stir  up 
others,  and  for  which  there  is  sometimes  no  reason  that  would  not  be 
equally  good  for  printing  their  secret  prayers.  We  would  avert  the 
common  catastrophe  of  men  growing  greedy  for  want  of  some  principle 
of  giving;  we  would  save  rich  men  from  the  nervous  fear  they  now  feel 
at  times  of  bringing  on  them  benevolent  collectors.  We  would,  by 
this  principle,  check  at  once  early  extravagance,  and  aged  men’s  nar- 
rowness. We  would  have  something  at  the  credit  of  the  Lord’s  cause, 
on  which  it  would  be  pleasant  to  draw.  Too  many  hearts  are  now 
like  the  feet  of  Belshazzar’s  image,  in  this  regard,  “part  iron  and  part 
clay.”  We  would  have  them  hearts  of  flesh,  compassionate,  gentle, 
pitiful  and  realizing  the  one  certain  traditional  word  of  the  Lord  and 
Master,  “It  is  more  blessed  to  give  than  to  receive.’*’ 

These  words  may  fall  into  the  hands  of  some  who  have  no  need  to 
save,  who  have  capital  enough  and  ample  provision  for  all  their  wants 
and  for  those  who  come  after  them  also.  To  them,  let  it  be  said  in  all 
kindness,  in  the  name  of  Him  who  giveth  us  all  things  richly  to  enjoy, 
Give  according  to  your  means,  or  He  whom  you  offend  by  failure  therein 
may  make  your  means  according  to  your  giving. 


LECTURE  IV. 


The  question  may  be  asked  : To  what  uses  should  we  put  the  means 
obtained  by  systematic  and  generous  giving  on  the  part  of  Christians? 

In  the  answer  to  this  question,  it  is  hoped  there  may  be  not  only 
some  guidance  to  sincere  Christian  persons  desirous  of  doing  their  ut- 
most for  the  welfare  of  their  kind,  but  also  by  necessary  implication, 
some  further  arguments  for  the  consecration  of  property.  For  let  us 
not  forget  the  relation  in  which  we  stand  (a)  to  the  Giver  of  all  we  pos- 
sess, ( b ) to  the  kingdom  of  grace  He  has  set  up  in  the  world,  ( c ) to  our 
fellow  subjects  in  that  kingdom,  and  (d)  to  the  world  around  us.  Our 
Lord  has  suffered  in  our  nature,  and  entered  into  his  glory,  the  glory 
of  a Conqueror,  of  a Peace  maker,  of  an  Administrator,  of  a Teacher. 
He  is  King  in  Zion.  David  the  man  of  successful  war,  and  Solomon 
the  man  of  prosperous  peace,  taken  together,  represent  Him  as  our 
king  of  righteousness.  This  glorious  person  is  not  inactive  in  his  seat 
of  honor.  This  “ priest  upon  his  throne  ” is  building  the  temple  of  the 
Lord,  (Zach.  vi:  13).  Already  by  His  grace  subjects  of  the  kingdom, 
we  can  be  fellow  workers  with  Him — necessarily  become  so  when  we 
are  reconciled.  We  en;er  into  His  aims,  are  baptized  with  the  Spirit, 
and  catch  His  inspiration.  There  is  a glow  of  enthusiasm  kindled  by 
the  apprehension  of  this  kingdom.  It  is  world-wide  by  right,  and  shall 
be  world-wide  in  fact:  “Yea  all  kings  shall  serve  him,”  (Ps.  lxxii:  n). 
It  is  beneficent  in  its  character.  “He  shall  save  the  poor  and  needy.” 
It  is  perpetual:  “ His  name  shall  endure  for  ever.”  It  is  just  in  its 
administration.  “In  his  days  shall  the  righteous  flourish,  and  abun- 
dance of  peace  so  long  as  the  moon  endureth.”  This  is  the  spirit  of 
the  kingdom  to  which  we  belong.  It  is  foreshadowed  in  the  seventy- 
second  Psalm — an  ode  which  for  completeness,  elevation  and  grandeur 
of  conception,  is  without  a rival  even  in  the  Psalms  themselves;  the 
theocratic  rule  of  David  and  his  son  forming  the  starting  point  whence 
inspiration  rises  to  the  delineation  of  Messiah’s  world-wide  and  everlast- 
ing kingdom.  He  who  occupies  its  throne  died — died  to  lay  the  foun- 
dation of  the  kingdom — died  to  conquer  the  last  enemy  in  death..  “ I 
am  he  that  liveth,  and  was  dead,  and  I am  alive  for  evermore.”  If  this 
Psalm  was — as  many  have  alleged,  and  the  postscript  seems  to  suggest — 
David’s  death  song,  with  what  point  and  emphasis  does  he  say  “He 
shall  live,  and  to  Him  shall  be  given  of  the  gold  of  Sheba — prayer  also 
shall  be  made  for  him  continually  (“My  kingdom  come”)  and  daily 
shall  he  be  praised.”  Other  kingdoms  are  maintained  by  the  taxation 
of  their  subjects  ; they  desire  the  welfare  and  success  of  that  which 
they  enjoy  in  common ; and  they  feel  that  the  glories  of  their  sovereign 
are  in  some  sense  theirs.  And  so,  contrary  to  the  expectations  of  them 
who  crucified  the  Lord  of  glory,  it  is  with  Him.  And  the  grouping  is 
significant.  Gold,  and  not  the  “gold  of  Ophir,”  which  would  have 
been  the  term  if  its  mere  excellence  were  in  question,  but  gold  of  Sheba, 
the  strangers’  gold,  foreigners’  gold — gold  from  those  who,  like  Sheba’s 
queen,  are  drawn  by  His  wisdom  to  Him — this  gold  is  linked  with 
prayer  and  praise,  as  the  things  to  be  given  to  Him.  The  divine  plan 
is  to  reconquer  what  has  been  used  against  His  kingdom.  Gold  has 
been  the  tempter  of  multitudes.  It  is  not  bad  in  itself.  Like  every 
creature  of  God  it  is  good.  It  is  the  inordinate  love  of  it  that  is  a root 
of  evil,  not  the  aurum , but  the  auri  sacra  fames  of  Virgil,  the  accursed 
hunger  for  it,  that  has  wrought  the  ruin.  Aaron  and  the  people  can 


2 6 


make  it  into  a golden  calf  that  shall  dishonor  God,  but  Moses  can  em- 
ploy it  to  frame  the  mercy  seat;  a wedge  of  it  may  ensnare  Achan,* 
but  none  the  less  it  may  be  the  honorable  badge  of  high  office  around 
the  neck  of  Joseph.  With  gold  the  god  of  this  world  can  dazzle,  and 
blind,  and  ruin  his  subjects ; with  gold  the  Saviour  of  mankind  can  be 
honored  and  served.  To  Him,  as  His  subjects,  we  are  pledged. 

In  what  ways,  theft,  can  money  be  given  to  Him?  In  the  Old  Tes- 
tament and  in  the  New,  objects  like  the  following  have  been  urged 
upon  the  Lord’s  servants : 

i.  The  Care  of  the  Poor.  They  were  commended  to  the  kindness 
of  the  ancient  church  in  various  ways.  The  fields  were  reaped  with 
regard  to  them,  something  being  left  on  the  corners  for  the  gleaners. 
The  festivals  were  framed  with  regard  to  them,  a portion  to  the  poor 
being  included  in  the  rejoicings  of  (Jod’s  happy  servants.  The  Sabbat- 
ical year  contemplated  them,  and  gave  them  some  share  in  the  products 
•of  the  earth  that  year.  Loans  were  to  be  made  to  them  without  interest 
and  without  their  garments  as  a pledge.  Portions  of  the  Levitical  tithes 
were  set  apart  for  their  use.  Their  permanent  bondage  to  any  one  was 
forbidden,  the  Jubilee  setting  the  embarrassed  free,  and  giving  them  the 
right  to  re-enter  their  land  if  it  had  become  alienated.  The  scrupulous 
payment  of  their  wages  is  everywhere  enjoined;  and  in  a word  it  is 
impossible  to  think  of  a kinder,  wiser  or  more  humane  legislation  for 
the  poor  than  we  find  in  the  Mosaic  arrangements.  It  is  impossible  to 
explain  this  on  any  other  theory  than  their  divine  origin.  How  other- 
wise should  the  Hebrews,  just  freed  from  a degrading  bondage,  have 
risen  at  a single  bound,  to  the  framing  of  a social  code  a thousand  years 
in  advance  of  the  most  civilized  nations  around  them  ? 

We  pass  into  the  New  Testament,  and  the  goodly  tradition  runs  on 
into  the  Christian  Church.  Special  officers  are  chosen  by  the  Christian 
people  for  the  care  of  the  Christian  poor.  The  Deacons  of  Acts  vi, 
contemplated  the  systematic  care  of  the  widows.  To  “remember  the 
poor  ” was  a charge  to  Paul  and  Barnabas  when  sent  out  to  the  Gentiles, 
(Gal.  ii : io,)  and  systematic  provision  for  poor  widows  was  a part  of 
the  machinery  of  the  primitive  church,  (i  Tim.  v : 3-10)  They  con- 
stitute the  wealth  of  a church  in  the  eyes  of  ancient  saints,  who  regarded 
the  Saviour  as  meaning  what  He  said  (in  Matt,  xxv:  40),  “Ye  have 
done  unto  me  what  ye  did  for  the  least  of  these  my  brethren.”  One  of 
the  greatest  curses  mediaeval  corruption  inflicted  upon  men,  and  for 
which  it  ought  never  to  have  forgiveness,  was  the  turning  of  gentle, 
scriptural,  holy,  generous  charity  into  a penance  and  the  price  in  a 
bargain  with  the  Almighty,  who  is  bought  off  with  so  much  goods  flung 
to  Him,  sometimes  from  a hand  stiffening  in  death.  Charity  was  an 
angel  from  heaven.  Superstition  degraded  her  into  a chaffering  par- 
don-broker, negotiating  purchases  at  the  cheapest  rates  of  homesteads 
and  possessions  in  the  heavenly  Jerusalem. 

But  this  must  not  blind  us  to  the  truth  that  the  aid  of  the  poor  is  one 
of  the  uses  of  money  for  Christ.  Of  course  their  claim  upon  us  is  not 
uniform.  Our  kindred  first,  is  the  Bible  rule ; then  our  own  church, 
our  own  city,  our  own  country — such  would  probably  be  the  order  both 
of  nature  and  of  grace.  The  problem  of  the  poor  threatens  to  be  a 


'It  is  surely  a significant  warning  against  covetousness  among  God’s  professing  people,  that 
Aci  an,  at  the  entrance  of  the  people  into  Palestine,  and  Ananias  and  Sapphira,  at  the  planting  of 
the  Christian  Church,  should  have  been  made  such  signal  examples  of  God’s  hate  of  this  sin. 


27 


grave  one  in  this  country,  and  we  are  in  a great  degree  unprepared  for 
it.  It  would  be  a step  in  the  direction  of  its  adjustment,  if  we  made  a 
clear  division  of  them  into  two  classes — those  who  are  in  church  con- 
nection, and  those  who  are  not.  The  former  the  churches  could  and 
should  look  after.  The  latter  have  only  the  claim  of  citizens  on  the 
State  and  should  be  sustained  by  taxation.  Both  Church  and  State 
would  have,  on  this  plan,  the  strongest  reasons  to  limit  the  number  of 
idle  dependents.  For  when  it  is  said  “ the  poor  shall  not  cease  out  of 
the  land,”  it  is  not  meant  that  the  same  individuals  and  families,  from 
generation  to  generation,  shall  be  in  poverty,  but  that  from  various 
causes  persons  will  become  poor  and  helpless.  The  aim  of  the  com- 
munity ought  to  be  as  of  the  church  by  its  nature,  to  lift  up  out  of 
poverty  and  raise  to  intelligence  and  independence.  The  gain  to  the 
poor  would  be  great  in  making  it  their  interest  to  be  in  real  connexion 
with  the  church,  for  human  virtue  is  so  weak  that  it  needs  to  be  “shored 
up”  to  the  utmost  possible  extent;  and  in  the  degree  in  which  churches 
provided  for  their  own,  in  that  degree  would  the  burden  be  lightened 
upon  them,  in  common  with  the  community,  and  church  influences  of 
the  right  kind  would  constantly  diminish  the  number  of  the  poor — on 
the  one  hand  by  their  preventive,  and  on  the  other  by  their  elevating 
tendencies.  We  say  “preventive,”  for  a true  church  wages  incessant 
war  with  the  improvidence,  idleness,  drunkenness,  uncleanness  and 
like  vices,  which  are  the  too  fertile  producers  of  our  pauperism. 

It  may  be  thought  the  burden  of  our  poor  would  be  too  heavy  on 
many  congregations.  Where  is  the  evidence  ? Where  the  effort  has 
been  honestly  and  wisely  made  it  has  been  successful.  If  a congrega- 
tion is  poor,  then  associate  sister  churches  and  make  the  object  a com- 
mon one.  Cases  in  point  could  be  produced.  I have  pleasure  and 
pride  in  reporting  of  the  Irish  Presbyterian  Church  with  some  six  hun- 
dred congregations,  and  by  no  means  the  richest  part  of  the  commu- 
nity, that  she  has  provided  within  a few  years,  a fund  so  administered, 
that  no  orphans  of  her  deceased  members  shall  lack  Christian  care, 
provision,  and  education.  In  point  of  fact  comparatively  few  of  her 
members  ever  obtain  public  relief,  and  I have  no  doubt,  with  a little 
organization,  she  could  take  care  of  them  all.  I shall  count  it  a good 
day  when  such  shall  be  the  avowed  policy  of  the  American  churches.* 

2.  The  maintenance  of  Divine  ordinances  and  of  the  plans  and  the 
persons  needful  to  that  maintenance  requires  our  means.  You  do  not 
need  to  be  reminded  how  the  gifts  of  the  people  furnished  means  for 
the  costly  tabernacle  in  the  wilderness — wonderfully  costly — considering 
their  position,  if  the  estimate  of  Prideaux  be  near  the  truth,  namely, 
$1,220,600.  Nor  do  we  need  to  recall  the  munificence  of  king  and 
people  in  providing  the  temple.  Solomon  found  the  means,  and  was 

* Self-defense  ought  to  stimulate  effort  in  this  direction.  Appalling  crimes  are  too  common.  All 
sorts  of  fanatical  “issues”  find  favor  among  the  ignorant.  Do  not  these  poor  dupes  and  wretched 
criminals  cry  in  their  misery  for  light  and  saving  Christian  influences?  Even  in  things  natural  and 
physical  there  is  a voice  from  their  wretchedness  How  much  need  there  is  of  preventive  help  to 
come  and  save  the  sufferers  from  the  merciful  hospital,  which  otherwise  will  be  needful  by  and  by? 
Here  is  a half-naked  child,  laying  the  foundation  of  consumption,  and  to  be  a burden  on  the  com- 
munity. There  is  a poor  drunkard  getting  ready  for  paralysis— yonder  an  over-wrought  mother 
preparing  for  “the  incurable here  a damp,  unsavory  den,  is  generating  fever  for  the  inmates  and 
for  the  better-lodged  neighbors  hard  by;  and  these,  more  pitiful  still ! the  profligate  and  polluted 
group,  beside  and  around  which  the  decent  poor  cannot  but  live,  the  young  to  be  steadily  contami- 
nated by  them  and  made  ready  for  the  police  court  and  the  prison,  for  infamy  and  misery.  We 
have  not,  indeed,— except  in  some  of  our  great  cities— such  masses  of  poverty  and  ignorance  as 
amaze  and  terrify  in  the  old  world,  but  the  present  is  our  opportunity,  while  the  evil  is  manageable, 
to  ward  off  such  calamities  from  the  country  of  the  future,  and  meantime  “to  do  good  and  to  com- 
municate ” on  the  laraesc  scale. 


28 


able  to  pay  for  the  work  as  it  advanced,  though  it  is  estimated  that  the 
royal  contribution  was  $90,000,000,  and  the  people’s  $150,000,000. 
When  dedicated  it  was  a clear  offering  to  God.  The  sacred  edifice  was 
at  once  God’s  and  the  people’s.  They  could  truly  call  it  “our  holy 
and  beautiful  house,”  and  yet  the  temple  of  the  Lord.  There  were  no 
builders’  liens  upon  it.  Hiram  had  no  mortgage  upon  it  for  his  part  of 
the  work.  What  a gain  it  will  be  to  religion  in  ways  that  are  on,  and 
in  ways  that  are  under,  the  surface,  when  the  same  plan  is  pursued 
with  all  Christian  churches  ! 

The  Jewish  law  provided  for  the  men  for  the  temple  service.  Sus- 
tained by  the  rest  was  a whole  tribe  whose  members  were  distributed 
in  part  through  the  land — educators,  priests,  Levites,  among  the  peo- 
ple, of  them,  with  common  ties,  cares,  interests,  family  sympathies ; 
for  a celibate  priesthood  was  not  provided. 

In  the  New  Testament  the  same  principle — that  the  servants  at  the 
altar  should  live  by  it — is  forcibly  inculcated.  Purse  and  scrip  were 
forbidden  by  Christ  to  the  disciples,  (Matt,  x:  9,  10)  whom  He  sent 
out,  (Luke  x:  4-9).  Paul  reasons  out  the  question  carefully  as  to  the 
obligation  of  the  recipients  of  spiritual  things  to  minister  of  their  carnal 
things,  (1  Cor.  ch.  ix),  though  for  prudential  reasons,  in  some  instances 
he  did  not  avail  himself  of  his  right. 

The  ministry  of  the  word,  in  all  churches,  Protestant,  Roman  Cath- 
olic or  Jewish,  in  churches  established  by  the  State,  or  in  churches  act- 
ing on  the  voluntary  principle,  it  is  acknowledged  on  all  hands  ought 
to  be  supported. 

This  implies  the  training  of  ministers,  the  requisite  preliminary  educa- 
tion in  colleges  and  seminaries.  Elevation  of  ministerial  support  will 
gradually  diminish  the  calls  on  the  churches  at  this  end,  for  when  the 
temptation  to  well-to-do  young  men  to  stay  away  from  the  hardships 
and  poverty  of  the  calling,  is  removed,  they  will  in  far  larger  numbers 
be  educated  at  their  own-  or  their  families’  expense. 

Now  it  may  be  said  that  if  clergymen  fix  the  standard  of  their  living 
too  high,  that  is  their  own  affair,  and  there  is  no  obligation  on  the 
Christian  people  to  come  up  to  it.  This  objection  is  so  natural  and  so 
plausible  that  it  ought  to  be  dealt  with  at  a little  length.  In  point  of 
fact,  it  is  not  the  ministers  but  the  people  who  fix  the  scale  of  the  min- 
isters’ outlay.  You- can  see  this  yourselves  when  you  stop  to  reflect. 
Let  any  congregation  in  this  State  call  a minister,  and  is  it  not  well 
enough  known  beforehand  in  what  kind  of  home  he  should  live,  what 
sort  of  establishment  he  should  maintain  !*  Let  him  fall  conspicuously 
below  the  estimate  and  he  is  censured;  and  he  knows  that.  Let  a min- 
ister in  this  city  appear  on  the  streets  in  conspicuously  bad  attire  and 
would  not  his  people  soon  say  “ it  is  a shame “it  is  a disgrace,” 
namely,  to  them.  He  reflects  dishonor  on  them.  Now  all  clergymen 
well  know  this,  and  they  sacrifice  much  rather  than  sacrifice  moral 


*Here  is  one  great  advantage  of  a mini  iter  being  provided  with  an  official  residence,  call  it  “Par- 
sonage,” or  “ Manse,”  the  English  and  Scotch  terms,  linked  with  many  a blessed  memory  and 
hallowed  association,  or  by  any  other  name  you  will.  He  is  s ived  the  discussion  of  most  perplexing 
questions  just  at  the  time  when  all  his  energies  ought  to  be  free  for  taking  up  his  work;  and  his 
wife  is  saved  a world  of  trouble.  If  the  house  is  in  a fashionable  quarter,  his  numbler  people  can- 
not complain  as  if  he  were  “taking  airs  on  him,”  nor  the  richer,  as  if  he  rivalled  them.  If  it  is  in 
an  unfashionable  end  of  the  town,  the  richer  members  cannot  find  fault  with  him  for  forgetting 
what  is  due  to  them  by  their  pastor.  If  the  wife  of  a rich  deacon  or  trustee  feels  it  awkward  to 
drive  to  a very  “ shady  ” quarter  to  see  her  past  r's  family,  it  is  not  the  minister,  but  her  husband 
and  his  friends  who  settled  the  location  ; or,  if  the  minister  himself  feels  that  the  h use  is  more 
showy  or  expensive  t.ian  his  moans  warrant,  it  is  a little  consolation  to  know  that  he  did  not  make 
the  se  ection. 


influence.  It  was  cruel  in  Pharaoh’s  court  to  require  the  Hebrews  to 
make  brick  without  straw,  and  it  is  a more  refined  and  less  excusable 
form  of  it  in  our  Christian  congregations  when  they  require  ministers 
to  conform  to  all  the  requirements  of  what  is  known  as  a gentleman  on 
the  income  of  a mechanic.  There  are  ministers  in  abundance  in  this 
State  who  must  be  men  of  education,  character  and  ability,  watchmen 
on  the  walls  of  Zion,  whose  financial  position  would  be  improved  if 
they  were  watchmen  on  the  streets  of  New  York  city,  and  the  moral 
•qualifications  could  be  dispensed  with.  Even  the  ministers  best  sup- 
ported in  our  largest  cities  in  multitudes  of  cases  eke  out  the  means 
needed  to  supply  ordinances  to  their  congregations — on  the  scale  and 
.according to  their  standard  of  the  congregations — by  the  money  they  earn  by 
their  pens,  or  otherwise,  or  by  the  money  which  belongs  to  their  fami- 
lies, and  ought  to  be  transmitted.  They  thus  become,  in  point  of  fact, 
the  largest  contributors  to  the  maintenance  of  ordinances  in  many  con- 
gregations.* 

The  claim  of  the  ministry  is  not  upon  charity,  but  upon  justice  ; and 
to  put  the  contributions  in  this  direction  among  “charities,”  is  hardly 
fair  to  the  ministry,  nor  true  to  the  truth  of  things.  Lawyers,  on  proper 
occasions,  attend  to  our  secular  interests  and  aid  us ; doctors  of  medi- 
cine to  our  bodily  ailments;  clergymen  to  the  moral  and  spiritual 
instruction  of  our  own  and  our  children’s  children ; and  it  is  hard  to  see 
why  the  one  should  have  a just  and  the  other  only  a charitable  claim. 
In  all  these  cases  the  parties  are  called  to  the  work,  and  in  all  of  them 
there  is  a certain  honorable  delicacy  that  forbids  a bargain  beforehand. 
The  difference,  however,  is  that  members  of  the  other  two  learned  pro- 
fessions can  send  in  their  accounts,  while  ordinarily  the  minister  has  a 
contract  beforehand,  in  which,  however,  the  same  delicacy  on  his  side 
is  intensified  by  other  considerations  peculiar  to  his  profession. 

I do  not  think  myself  singular  in  the  opinion  that  there  is  need  to 
discuss  this  question  before  our  thoughtful  Christian  people.  It  is 
attended  with  this  infelicity  that  the  men  who  know  the  case  best  are 
precluded  from  expounding  it,  by  a feeling  that  is  creditable  to  them — 
an  unwillingness  to  seem  to  plead  their  own  cause  in  the  Lord’s  name. 
An  impression  also  exists  that  though  ministers’  salaries  are  small  in  too 
many  cases,  so  numerous  and  valuable  perquisites  come  to  them  that 
they  are  enriched.  On  this,  two  remarks  may  be  made,  (a)  The 
whole  system  of  perquisites  is  of  doubtful  worth.  In  political,,  com- 
mercial, professional  life,  there  is  always  danger,  from  the  very  weak- 
ness of  human  nature,  of  turning  the  eye  towards  the  uncertain  element 
of  perquisites,  since  the  fixed  part  of  the  income  will  be  available  at 
any  rate.  It  is  to  me  a grave  question  whether  it  would  not  be  a wise 
thing  for  clergymen  to  forego  all  special  privileges — in  bookstores,  on 
railroads,  and  so  forth,  and  insist  on  paying  their  way  like  other  gen- 
tlemen, and  being  supported  accordingly.  Whenever  such  things 
come  in  to  eke  out  an  insufficient  salary,  they  make  consciences  easy 
that  ought  to  be  troubled,  and  they  can  hardly  help  carrying  some  taint 


*Take  a case.  A minister  is  called  to  a charge  on  a salary  of  $2,500.  Before  he  settles,  his  con- 
gregation take  a house  for  him,  at  his  expense,  at  $1,500.  The  balance  of  a thousand  dollars  and 
his  own  means  are  expected  to  secure  to  them  a sufficiently  respectable  ministry.  This  is  a very 
aggravated  fonn  of  the  evil.  But  if  a minister,  as  any  one  can  see,  can  only  maintain  his  place  at 
a cost  of  three  thousand  dollars,  and  his  people  give  him  but  two,  or  in  the  country  at  a cost  of 
$1,500,  and  they  give  him  a thousand,  he  has  to  make  up  the  balance  or  be  in  debt ; and,  in  either 
case,  there  is  loss,  first  and  heaviest  to  the  congregation,  then  to  the  minister  in  a vexed  and 
•depressed  spirit,  then  to  the  whole  church,  and  then  to  the  community. 


3® 


of  humiliaion  to  the  recipient.  Are  not  “ donation  parties”  the  laugh- 
ing stock  of  intelligent  people,  the  “ pious  frauds”  of  Protestantism? 

(b)  There  is  great  danger  of  ministers  suffering  from  the  exagger- 
ated popular  estimate  of  the  irregular  additions  to  their  salaries,  as 
from  wedding-fees  and  the  like.  I heard  a number  of  clergymen  of 
the  richest  congregations  of  New  York  talk  of  this  thing,  and  every 
one  of  them  would  willingly  have  commuted  all  such  for  less  than 
five  hundred  dollars  a year — not  a large  sum  to  a clergyman’s  family 
in  a great,  city. 

3.  The  diffusion  of  the  light  of  the  gospel  is  another  of  the  objects 
for  which  money  is  to  be  used.  No  Tract  Society,  or  Bible  Society, 
or  mission  enterprise  can  be  maintained  without  money.  There  are 
gains  in  security,  peace,  commerce,  prosperity,  and  above  all  in  moral 
and  spiritual  benefits  from  these  outlays : but  there  are  not  gains  in 
kind  to  the  giver.  His  work  is  one  of  faith.  Men  often  buy  and  lay 
aside  stocks  that  are  cheap  now,  because  paying  no  dividend,  but  of 
which  they  believe  ‘ ‘that  they  will  come  up.”  They  are  not  certain 
when,  but  they  are  willing  to  wait.  Faith  in  Jesus  Christ  when  it 
gives  does  not  look  for  dividends  now,  but  they  will  come,  and  often 
sooner  than  from  the  earthly  investments.  It  is  not  laying  out  but 
laying  up.  The  Christian  is  making — if  in  the  right  spirit — an  invest- 
ment in  a new  world  which  is  sure  to  pay  him  a hundred  fold. 

Here  we  come  upon  ground  on  which  conviction  is  sufficiently  clear 
and  duty  is  generally  acknowleged.  It  is  not  needful  to  linger  upon 
it.  Rather  let  what  remains  of  this  lecture  occupy  itself  with  some 
further  reference  to  the  way  of  giving,  and  the  reasons  for  right  prac- 
tice in  this  matter. 

Is  it  necessary  to  emphasize  willingness  as  a mark  of  true  giving? 
What  an  example  the  poor  returned  captives  of  Ezra’s  time  set ! They 
were  not  above  forty-two  thousand,  and  not  rich,  but  they  laid  out 
half  a million  of  our  money  on  the  temple  (Ez.  ii:  68,  69),  and  instead 
of  having  to  be  solicited  they  offered  freely.  “The  Lord  loveth 
a cheerful  giver.”  Sometimes  a gift  is  marred  in  the  giving  to  a fel- 
low-man as  it  detects  some  feeling  in  the  act  that  wounds,  or  humili- 
ates him,  or  shows  it  to  be  constraint.  Now  the  Lord  looketh  on  the 
heart.  No  ease  or  grace  of  manner  can  deceive  Him.  How  can  we 
attain  to  this  willingness?  Only  by  remembering  how  Christ  gave 
Himself  for  us,  and  that  we  voluntarily  gave  ourselves  to  Him. 

Is  it  needful  to  revert  to  unostentatiousness  as  a feature  of  true  giving? 
To  God,  not  to  the  church,  or  to  the  society,  or  to  the  world,  is  the 
gift  bestowed.  When  the  motive  is  “to  be  seen  of  men,”  all  claim 
upon  God  is  annulled.  Common  delicacy  indeed  prevents  refined 
persons  from  sounding  a trumpet  before  them,  “as  the.  hypocrites 
do ; ” but  agents  and  collectors  and  secretaries  find  out  what  is  palatable 
and  do  it  after  them.  There  are  times  when  donations  ought  to  be 
public,  but  of  course  giving  as  an  advertisement,  as  a means  of  bol- 
stering up  credit,  of  making  a name,  of  paying  for  an  honor,  or  for  a 
place,  need  not  be  named  among  us.  These  transactions  are  not 
Christian  “giving”  at  all,  but  barter,  dishonorable  to  one  party  and 
sometimes  to  both. 

Is  it  needful  to  say  that  we  should  give  under  the  conviction  that 
we  are  ste7vards  ? Can  we  meet  Him  whose  stewards  we  are  and  give 
account  to  Him  ? Shall  it  be  with  joy  and  not  with  grief?  We  heap 


31 


odium  on  men  unfaithful  to  their  trusts,* and  so  we  should,  for  fidelity 
and  honor  lie  at  the  basis  of  all  confidence  and  comfort  in  commercial 
life,  and  in  family  relations.  How  shall  we  stand  before  the  owner  of 
all  who  has  entrusted  much  to  our  hands  ? Rich  speculators  are  some- 
times heard  of  as  “unloading”  stocks  whose  depreciation  is  imminent. 
And  many  men  would  do  well  to  “unload”  that  which  they  might 
have  turned  to  glorious  uses,  but  which  in  a little  time  will  be  to  them 
useless,  if  not  worse. 

And  why  should  you  give?  It  is  one  of  the  evidences  of  character. 
We  know  men’s  tastes,  desires,  aims,  by  the  objects  on  which  they  lay 
out  their  money.  Men  of  artistic  tastes  purchase  costly  works  of  art. 
The  man  of  enterprise  pushes  new  industries.  The  voluptuary  pays 
enormously  for  his  pleasure  of  palate,  or  of  lawless  passion.  The 
politician  gives  for  party  aggrandizement  perhaps  with  a view  to  per- 
sonal advancement.  The  humane  and  benevolent  find  their  appro- 
priate and  congenial  objects.  There  are  known  rich  men  in  most 
cities  with  plenty  of  money  of  which  they  make  no  use,  before  whom 
if  you  put  a religious  cause  they  would  tell  you  “it  is  not  in  their 
way.”  They  recognize  the  character  that  is  in  giving.  A subscription 
from  some  of  them  would  surprise  the  community  almost  as  much  as 
a donation  to  a race  course  from  prominent  Christians.  This  test  is 
universally  recognized.  Here,  therefore,  is  one  of^  the  ways  of  con- 
• fessing  Christ.  You  sing,  pray  to  Him,  praise  Him.  This  is  good. 
Mind  and  body  do  Him  homage.  Estate  remains — the  third  element 
of  your  life.  It  is  said  that  when  the  Emperor  of  Russia  lately  called 
for  a loan  it  was  promptly  subscribed,  and  a reason  given  was  the 
personal  popularity  of  the  Emperor.  But  our  King  is  warring  always 
for  truth  and  goodness — against  all  evil.  How  shall  we  prove  our 
loyalty  and  devotion  to  Him  if  we  withhold  the  gold  which  He  has 
put  into  our  hands  ? 

Giving  is  a needful  discipline,  a salutary  check  on  selfishness.  When 
Job  protests  his  integrity  (in  ch.  xxxi:  24),  one  of  his  disclaimers  is, 
“If  I have  made  gold  my  hope,  or  said  to  fine  gold  thou  art  my  con- 
fidence.” Not  many  men  happily  acquire  a sordid  love  for  it,  in  itself. 
Many,  however,  with  splendid  features  of  character,  do  become  fas- 
cinated with  the  making  of  it,  and  are  so  busy  in  it  that  they  let  it  lie 
in  heaps  unused  behind  them,  like  the  hunters  on  the  plains  who  used 
to  shoot  the  buffalo,  not  because  they  wanted  them,  but  for  the  excite- 
ment of  shooting.  Such  need  to  conquer  themselves  and  educate 
themselves  until  they  feel  it  to  be  more  blessed  to  give  than  to  receive. 
God  could  do  without  our  giving,  but  we  cannot. 

If  we  fail  in  this  matter  of  stewardship  we  shall  be  reminded  of  our 
failure  by  the  God  of  providence.  He  did  not  allow  Abraham,  or 
Jacob,  or  Isaac,  or  David,  or  Moses,  or  Hezekiah  to  escape  the  tem- 
poral consequences  of  their  respective  sins.  Nor  can  we  count  on 
such  escape.  Nor  has  He  any  lack  of  ways  of  taking  vengeance  of 
our  inventions.  If  we  sin  as  to  means  He  can  withdraw  them  from 
us.  A fire,  a panic,  a war,  a shrinkage  can  come  in  His  providence. 
No  more  rapidly  did  Jonah’s  gourd  wither  than  our  possessions  melt 
away ! Men  fail  to  realize  that  all  is  in  His  hand.  Or  he  can  leave 


* It  is  curious  and  suggestive  that  from  the  Latin  maleficentia  we  get  through  the  French  the  legal 
word  for  unfaithful  stewardship,  mal-feamncz.  The  antithesis  of  maleficentia  is  beneficentia. 


32 


3 0112  058799179 


them  with  us,  without  their  yielding  us  any  comfort.  Some  of  the 
richest  men  are  not  at  all  happy  men,  their  very  wealth  in  many  cases 
burdening  their  minds,  embittering  their  closing  years,  and  in  the 
quarrels  over  it  when  they  are  gone,  exposing  the  least  lovely  portions 
of  their  lives.  Or  leaving  our  means  with  us  and  allowing  us  to  enjoy 
them  in  some  degree,  He  can  leave  us  and  ours  to  ourselves  so  much 
that  the  means  become  a source  of  envy,  jealousy,  wrath  and  strife, 
and  bitter  quarrels  among  those  who  ought  to  be  bound  together  in 
love.  Nor  does  it  require  you  to  be  a millionaire  to  realize  this.  All 
wealth  is  relative.  Family  jars  can  be  called  out  over  a thousand  dol- 
lars as  easily  as  over  a million.  The  apple  of  discord  was  of  gold. 
How  often  the  gold  that  was  hoarded,  against  duty,  conscience  and 
generous  impulses,  becomes  an  apple  of  discord  among  men  and 
women  of  the  same  flesh  and  blood ! The  law-courts  sometimes  let  in 
light  on  the  hateful,  pitiful,  spiteful  war,  and  the  poor,  as  they  read  it 
or  hear  of  it,  thank  God  that  no  one  will  fight  over  their  spoils  when 
they  are  gone!  ~ * ' 

Or  He  can  turn  our  means  into  a curse  to  those  who  inherit  them, 
for  a curse  can  cling  to  property.  How  many  men,  aye,  and  women, 
stumble  in  the  race  of  life,  not  because  they  were  poor,  but  because 
they  were  rich.  The  profligate  spendthrift  is  the  scourge  God  often 
lays  on  the  back  of  the  ambitious  father,  who  meant  to  found  a house 
and  leave  a family  rich,  and  who  sees  him  a roue  and  a wreck.  I have  • 
never  seen  more  bitter  tears  than  those  that  overflowed  an  aged  father’s 
eyes  in  just  such  circumstances.  “I  have  toiled,  and  slaved,  and  have 
been  counted  a miser,  and  it  was  all  to  make  him  a man ; and  he  tram- 
ples over-  me,  and  wishes  I were  dead  that  he  might  be  free  to  waste 


all.” 


And  now  in  closing  these  addresses,  in  hearing  which  great  numbers 
have  shown  great  patience,  let  me  speak  a concluding  word  to  any 
who  have  never  made  the  original  consecrating  act  of  themselves  to 
our  Heavenly  King.  Oh  ye,  who  are  yet  uncommitted  to  this  King- 
dom, let  me  beg  you  to  come  to  His  side  for  all  you  need.  Come  to 
His  cross  for  pardon.  Let  Him  speak  to  you.  Speak  to  Him,  “ Lord 
remember  me.”  Listen  to  His  word,  “Thou  shalt  be  with  me  in  para- 
dise.” Come  to  His  throne  for  grace,  strength,  patience,  help.  “ My 
grace  is  sufficient.”  With  His  strength  perfected  in  your  weakness 
what  cannot  you  do  ? Come  to  His  table  for  spiritual  nourishment. 
You  wrong  yourself  if  you  believe  and  yet  stay  away.  Remember 
Paul  in  the  storm  and  tempest  beseeching  the  sailors  to  take  some 
meat.  (Acts  xxviii:  32,  33,  34.)  Oh  friends,  the  storms  of  life,  its 
temptations,  sorrows,  are  many  and  severe.  I pray  you  to  take  this 
meat  of  the  Lord’s  providing,  and  be  of  good  cheer  and  doubt  not 
that  He  will  bring  you  through. 

And  as  for  you  who  have  believed  and  are  living  to  Him — giving 
gold,  prayer,  praise— you  are  on  the  way  to  another  land.  How  much 
of  all  that  men  count  dear  here  is  taken  to  represent  its  glory,  crowns 
of  gold,  harps  of  gold,  the  very  streets  of  pure  gold,  like  unto  clear 
glass.  “And  the  gold  of  that  land  is  good” — never  tarnishes ; is  never 
lost  or  stolen ; never  fails  to  satisfy ; never  rusts  so  that  the  rust  of  it 
eats  the  soul ; never  hardens  the  heart,  nor  petrifies  the  feelings.  t Go 
on  your  way  gladly;  the  rest  is  near,  and  it  is  glorious. 


